Plague of the Gargantuas
by Neil Riebe
Summary: This is a plague like no other. The Gargantuas are back and they are multiplying by the thousands. They are corralling humans like cattle. Unless Godzilla and the other kaiju stop them they will become the masters of Earth.
1. Chapter 1

_**Plague of the Gargantuas**_

 **Part one**

 **By John LeMay and Neil Riebe**

 **Breaking the Ice**

"Doctor, we have a heartbeat." The tech looked up from his station to give his boss the good news.

Though Dr. Who wasn't one to smile, the tech's words made him do just that. The giant body resting under the ice was his "Ace in the Hole." It would allow him to build a bioweapon that would shock the world. "Good. Begin digging. I want that body free of the ice by nightfall."

Dr. Who's men worked around the clock. The hydraulic pistons of their machines whined as they scooped chunks of ice from the frozen plain along Antarctica's coast. By nightfall they had several meters to go before reaching the prize. Then a tech inside the mobile command post called out to Doctor Who: "Sir, we have a problem. I detect a tremor in the ice. It's as if something is burrowing toward the work site."

"What? Put the sound over the speakers."

The tech put the noise the sound detector had detected on the speaker. A deep, crunching of ice roared over the speaker, and in the midst of the noise there was a husky sound of breathing. The technician was correct. Something was burrowing through the ice. A kaiju!

"Radio for my robot, now!" Dr. Who had been itching to test out his newest creation on a kaiju since Kong and that traitor Madame X had jointly destroyed his beloved Mechanikong.

"Right away, sir!"

Who turned his attention to the icy tundra outside and watched as the ground began to raise. Within moments the monster Baragon burst from the ice and let out a shriek that nearly busted out the windows. The men immediately began to scramble. "No," Who hissed, worried not so much for his men as the unconscious body in the ice. It was worth more to him alive than dead.

Baragon peered over the pit looking below at the prize he intended to feast himself upon. Only now it was Baragon's turn to be surprised. Vibrations in the ground alerted him to the footfalls of another giant coming toward him. Baragon looked up from the pit to see the form of what could only be described as a mechanical gorilla.

Baragon leapt at the machine monster's barrel chest and immediately regretted it. Though he knocked his opponent backwards, it was as if he had hit a solid granite wall. He shook his head and tried his next tactic: his atomic ray. Though not as powerful as Godzilla's, Baragon liked to think his orange beam packed nearly as much force. Once it hit Mechanikong II's upper torso, Dr. Who immediately felt relieved that he had done away with the previous model's grenade belt. Had the ray hit the grenades then his latest creation would have likely exploded.

Instead Mechanikong II stood un-phased by the heat ray. Baragon decided to leap at his opponent's legs in hopes of knocking him over. As he jumped, the giant ape's fist rocketed from its arm socket and hit Baragon square in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the prehistoric survivor. Dr. Who had designed the new machine to have a detachable fist that also doubled as a gauntlet. With the fist still attached via a chain to the machine's arm, Mechanikong began to bludgeon Baragon with his fist as though it were a medieval mace! Squealing in pain, Baragon began burrowing into the ground. Satisfied the monster was retreating, Mechanikong ceased his attack and turned his attention back to the specimen he had just uncovered. Dr. Who's prize was still intact.

 **Chapter One: The Plague Revealed**

Malnik—assassin. With one bomb he wiped out the royal house of the Kingdom of Selgina. Thanks to him, Princess Selina Salno, who became queen after her father's assassination, made headlines one last time, as a corpse.

Hopto—head of the Selginan Democratic Movement. Publically, he championed representative government, suffrage rights for all citizens, all the things Western nations swoon over. Privately, he jockeyed for dictatorship. His assassin's crimes paved the way for him to become the first democratically elected president of Selgina.

Rogan—the pamphleteer. He rallied youth movements in the Selginan colleges, stirred up the workers, and courted the generals. He was Hopto's Trotsky.

Dr. Who knew these men well. They had ambition. They now had a country. What they lacked was an army. He would provide them with that army, on one condition: Money.

He finished his coffee and dabbed his lips with a napkin. "Miss Honeyblossom, what is the balance of my accounts?"

Miss Aki Honeyblossom adjusted her glasses and read from the doctor's financial spreadsheet. "Your savings account in Hong Kong has increased by 15%. Your stock of gold bullion increased by five hundred pounds and your Swiss accounts have increased by 20% each."

"Excellent. Our new clients have made their down payment. I shall now speak with them." He stood from the table. His dining room was all white and trimmed with silver and sparkling with crystal. It was a stark contrast to his black clothes and his even blacker heart. Aki straightened his collar and picked a strand of gray hair off his shoulder.

"Perfect," she said with a smile.

"As always!" Dr. Who smiled back. He handed Aki her clipboard and notes.

She handed him his presentation pointer and brief case.

They left the dining room and strode down the hall to a tapestry. At the press of a button a section of the wall slid aside behind the tapestry. They stepped through the aperture. On the other side was a tunnel. A guard snapped to attention.

The Doctor made a dismissive flick with his hand, letting his subordinate know he could stand at ease.

Their final destination was the auditorium. President Hopto, Rogan, Malnik, plus several officials who collaborated with Hopto's takeover of the Kingdom of Selgina—now The People's Democratic Republic of Selgina—plus a goon squad of security men were sitting, waiting patiently. They were all dressed in business attire. They looked more like corporate executives than thugs and cutthroats. That was fine, in Dr. Who's opinion. Everyone deserves a chance to look distinguished.

"Good morning, gentlemen," the Doctor said as he gave his briefcase to his assistant. "First, congratulations on your nation's smooth transition into a democracy. I am sure the people of Selgina will embrace your regime with as much affection as they had the Salno royal house."

Hopto cocked his brow. He appeared to be skeptical of Who's sincerity.

Dr. Who continued, "Eight months ago you asked me to provide you with a weapon that will make you equal with the world's super powers."

On cue, Miss Honeyblossom activated the view screen. A map of central Asia appeared.

Dr. Who pointed out Selgina on the map, a landlocked nation situated in the Himalayan Mountains. Nepal bordered Selgina on the western side. Bhutan on the eastern side. To the north was mighty China. To the south was India. Selgina was smaller than Luxembourg, with only 659 square miles to its name and a population of 259,000 with a standing army of 25,000. The nation had no heavy industry and because most of its mountainous topography it could support only one airstrip, and the airstrip was barely keeping up with the needs of commercial traffic. "What you need is a weapon which does not rely on the size of your army, your lack of industry, and can be contained within your borders. After eight months of work I have created the perfect weapon for you."

Miss Honeyblossom opened the briefcase. From the case she held up a phial of liquid.

"The liquid in this container contain cells to a living creature. A creature you will control." Dr. Who hopped down from the stage and handed the phial to President Hopto. A green-colored particulate matter floated inside the liquid. Hopto shook the phial, causing the liquid to take on a green tint. The Selginan leaders wrinkled their faces in disgust. After eight months and a king's ransom, this was all they had to show for it.

"Are you talking about germ warfare?" Hopto said. "No one in my country is trained to handle such material."

"What you are offering is illegal," Rogan added. "The UN will have us sanctioned. Our nation will be bankrupt before we could ever use that stuff."

Dr. Who laughed. "Gentlemen, you are jumping to conclusions. Allow me to show you what is inside that magic bottle." He swung his hand out toward the view screen.

Miss Honeyblossom replaced the map with news footage. What the men saw made them jump back in their seats. Their mouths opened in shock. On the screen, Sanda and Gaira, the brown and green Gargantuas, battled in the streets of Tokyo. Where their feet stepped, cars were crushed flat. Buildings collapsed into rubble in their wake. Tanks and maser cannons fired at the giant monsters. The gunfire slowed the Gargantuas, but did not stop them.

Hopto turned a deathly sheet of white. He looked at the phial again then carefully handed it back to Dr. Who.

"Where did you get this material?" Rogan asked. "The Gargantuas had been destroyed in a volcanic eruption."

The doctor smirked. It was better for him if they did not know. "Are you interested or are you not?"

Hopto glanced to his men. All of them shook their heads no, except Malnik.

"Listen to what the doctor has to say," the assassin stated firmly.

"We are not zookeepers," Hopto shot back. "How would we control a Gargantua?"

The doctor cleared his throat to get their attention. He hopped back up on the stage. His assistant handed him a twenty-page document from her clipboard. Dr. Who held it up. "This is a copy of the UN report on the Kilaak controller. No one has figured out how to reverse engineer this machine, except for me. I will equip you with a copy of the controller. With it you can make the Gargantuas do anything you want.

"Now, what makes the Gargantuas the perfect weapon? First, you can carry enough cells to create a thousand of these monsters in a three ounce bottle of shampoo."

Miss Honeyblossom took the phial from the doctor and pushed it inside a mock-up of a small bottle of shampoo, which a traveler can legally take aboard a passenger plane.

"A single person can travel anywhere in the world with these cells, plant them in open water, and raise an army in minutes. With one household refrigerator you can keep in cold storage a legion numbering in the trillions. Compact, easy to store, difficult to detect, yet once unleashed, the Gargantuas will be an unstoppable force. Are you interested, President Hopto?"

Hopto's lip quivered. Such power, if mishandled, could destroy his country. Could destroy him.

Malnik gripped the Selginan president's shoulder. He leaned close and spoke into his ear. "Mr. President, do not be afraid. He is offering us the key to world domination."

"What he is offering is a plague. A plague which may bring mankind to extinction."

"Exactly," Malnik said. "The fate of our species will be in your hand." He then whispered, "I worked too hard for you to throw away this opportunity. Take it! You know what happens to a soft-hearted ruler."

Despite Malnik's effort to keep his voice low, the doctor heard every word. He smirked. He knew what Malnik was hinting at. Hopto and his cronies regarded Princess Selina Salno as soft-hearted. Malnik killed her. He was not afraid to kill Hopto, too.

"All right," Hopto said. "I will accept your weapon provided that there is a way to destroy the Gargantuas when we no longer need them."

"That will be easy," the doctor said. "You control the Gargantuas. March them into a volcano. Well, Mr. President?"

Hopto nodded. "Fine. I accept."

"Good! Now I will give you a demonstration." Dr. Who snapped his fingers. The stage and the seats lowered into an immense cavern. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like fangs. Off in the distance the sound of water could be heard dripping. The stage and seats came to rest near a large pool. A copy of the Kilaak controller was already setup and waiting for use. The doctor positioned himself at the controller's panel.

Miss Honeyblossom took over the presentation from here. As the doctor fired up the controller, she pulled the phial out of the faux shampoo bottle. "This tube contains enough cells to grow one Gargantua. The cells, if exposed to protein, will grow. But growth will be slow if you leave them to nature. So we will be providing you with a high-potency solution which will allow the cells to reach maturity within minutes. Observe."

She took out of the briefcase a jar containing a tan-colored jelly. She spooned a bit of jelly into the phial and stirred the contents. Honeyblossom then poured the mixture into a rubber balloon. She tied the end and threw it into the pool.

The balloon floated for a few moments then shook, as if something wriggled inside. The mixture darkened, took on shape. It became something solid, alive. It burst out of the balloon, and continued to grow. It formed arms, legs, and a head. The face was hauntingly human, yet primitive, like a Pleistocene caveman. Its lips peeled back from dripping fangs, its eyes glared with hate. The Selginans hopped out of their seats and backed away from the pool as the beast grew, casting its shadow over everyone gathered in the cave. The Gargantua threw back its arms and let out a shrieking roar. The Selginans screamed in terror.

 **Chapter 2: First symptoms of the Plague**

Goro Ibuki's knee bounced up and down nervously as he approached his destination via helicopter over the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean. He smoothed out the crumpled letter in his hand and reread it:

Dear Goro Ibuki,

On behalf of your government I am pleased to announce that the United Nations has found a position for you and your marvelous invention, the robot kaiju Jet Jaguar, on Monsterland. As you may already know, Monsterland is located on Ogasawara Island in the Pacific Ocean, 1000 kilometers south of Tokyo. It is a nature reserve serving as a habitat for the world's kaiju. We feel the rapport your robot has struck with Godzilla will be instrumental in tending to the needs of the giant animals being kept there, and as a leader in your field of robotics we feel that you would be an invaluable asset to our team. Director Kyoko Manabe will inform you of your duties. Once again, congratulations!

Sincerely,

Ken Okitani, Ministry of Defense

Here was the rub. Goro had not applied for a position. He asked his lawyer what he should do. His lawyer said, "Take the job. If you know what's good for you, take it!"

He had already received requests from other countries, including state sponsors of terrorism, to create weaponized versions of Jet Jaguar. They promised money. Enough to ruin a man's soul. Editorials all over the globe were throwing suspicion on him as the next mad scientist. After all, it was a mad scientist who created Mechani Kong.

Yes, Jet Jaguar was benign. Yes, he was a hero. He helped save the world from Megalon, the kaiju god of Seatopia, and the space cyborg Gigan. None of it mattered. What mattered was that Jet Jaguar was more power than mankind could control.

Goro understood the subtext of the letter. His government considered him to be a liability and they wanted to tuck him and his machine some place where they couldn't get into any trouble.

He felt like an outcast.

The chopper continued its journey. Goro peeked out the passenger window. Jet Jaguar, now the size of an ordinary human, was flying alongside with his arms outstretched and his antennas extended. It was funny how others saw Jaguar as a weapon or a menace. To Goro, Jet Jaguar was his child.

"We're approaching the island now, sir," the pilot announced.

Monsterland had such majesty, with its mountains, lush forests, and bright sands soaking up the sun.

"If you look down below, you can see Godzilla's son. Weird isn't he?" the pilot said as they flew over the beach.

Goro looked down to see a creature that only vaguely resembled Godzilla. It stared up at them in wonderment. "Huh, maybe he's adopted," Goro joked.

Next he could see the giant spider Kumonga making its way through the trees. Even though Goro had seen kaiju up close he still felt a sense of wonderment. "Where's Godzilla?" he asked.

"Out to sea. He comes and goes as he pleases, even before the Kilaak controller went kaput. We think he's grown immune to it. Maybe that's something you can fix."

"Me?" Goro said, incredulous.

The pilot's face took on a guilty look as though he had said too much. "Uh, you'll see when you talk to the director. There she is now."

Goro looked ahead to see an attractive young woman waiting for him in the middle of a field.

The chopper touched down. Kyoko shielded her face as her hair whipped in the wind stirred up by the rotor blades. Shoving the letter into his pocket, Goro grabbed his suitcase and climbed out of the helicopter.

"Have fun," the pilot said and gave him a wink.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You'll find out!" the pilot shut the door with a laugh. He took off as Goro stared at him dumbstruck. Jet Jaguar touched down beside him and patted him on the shoulder to help him fortify his courage. The robot had an uncanny way of knowing when he was under a lot of stress.

"Don't let the pilot fool you. He just likes to joke," the young woman said as she approached. She extended her hand with a smile. "Kyoko Manabe, director of Monsterland."

Goro took her hand and shook it firmly. "Goro Ibuki."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Kyoko's features took on a gleam of recognition as she shook his hand. "You don't have a brother do you…a marine biologist?"

Goro had to laugh. "I do have a brother, but he's no marine biologist. He's only ten."

They both laughed.

"Oh, and this is Jet Jaguar, though I'm sure you already knew that."

Kyoko smiled and bowed and Jet Jaguar bowed in turn and uttered a few of his signature electric syllables.

Kyoko looked amused. "Is he…saying something?"

"Jet Jaguar says he is pleased to meet you."

"Well, the feeling is mutual." Kyoko wasn't sure if Goro was serious or just being polite, but she folded her hands and said to Goro, "I am well aware of the circumstances that led to your being here. Let me assure you that you are not under house arrest. I consider you a part of our special family of zookeepers. You will find your stay rewarding. I promise."

"If I am part of the family," Goro eyed her reaction closely, "does that mean I am free to leave?"

Kyoko's lips smiled, but her eyes took on the glint of steel. "I doubt you will want to leave once you start your work."

Talk about evasive answers…

Kyoko walked over to a hatch sticking out of the ground that led to an underground bunker. "Please come inside with me, we have much to discuss. Jet Jaguar is welcome to look around the island if he pleases."

"Now wait a minute, if you think Jet Jaguar should be corralled on this island— "

Kyoko opened up the hatch. "I assure you it's nothing of the sort. But according to our radar Godzilla should be coming ashore soon, and I'm sure he and Jet Jaguar would love to get reacquainted seeing as how they are…would it be appropriate to say old friends?"

Goro looked to his robot and judging from his chirps reuniting with Godzilla seemed to excite him. "Well, if that's what you want. Just don't go getting into any more fights."

Jet Jaguar chirped, did a few strange hand gestures and flew off toward the beach.

"After you," Kyoko said and gestured to the ladder running down the hatch.

Several minutes later after a brief tour of the Monsterland control room Goro and Kyoko sat down in her office.

"Miss Manabe, not that I didn't enjoy the tour of the facilities but if, uh…"

"We could get down to business? Certainly. To cut to the chase, your purpose here is twofold. First, we need your expertise for repairing the Kilaak controller. A recent earthquake has damaged it, hence why the monsters are now running amuck again. Second, once they are recaptured we want Jet Jaguar to act as an intermediary between man and monster. Help keep things running smoothly."

Goro face contorted into a grimace that he did his best to pass off as a smile. "Funny, I thought my visit here was three-fold, not two-fold."

"Three-fold?" Kyoko said confused.

"Yes, the third reason you brought Jet Jaguar and me here. To keep an eye on us."

"I assure you it's nothing of the sort."

"Oh, and here I thought you were just trying to flatter Jet Jaguar and myself into a nice prison stay. So, if that's not the case…and not that I'm not flattered by the offer to be a part of your team, I will have to politely decline. The truth is, Jet Jaguar and I are happy where we are."

Kyoko sighed and folded her hands, leaning back in her chair. It was time to play hardball. "You know Goro, can I call you Goro?" She didn't wait for him to answer and continued. "The government asks nicely only once. I'd take their offer to fix the controller."

"That's what I thought."

Kyoko looked to a monitor where Jet Jaguar could be seen patting Minya on the head as Godzilla looked on.

"Goro, please see it from the government's perspective. You constructed a potentially dangerous artificial intelligence without our knowledge or permission."

"An artificial intelligence that saved the world I might remind you."

"Yes, but only after first being hijacked by a hostile nation."

"So were you once Kyoko. I can call you Kyoko, right?" Goro was referring to the time Kyoko had been controlled by the Kilaaks and had been used by them to wreak havoc.

She shot him a look and then gave him a defeated smile. "Touché." She stood up and walked around her desk. "Listen, Goro, I hate to be the bad guy—

"Then don't."

"I wish it were that simple, but nothing is simple where national security is concerned." She sat down on the corner of her desk and leaned in close. When she started talking again Goro didn't know if he wanted to kiss her or slap her. "I'll level with you. Right now the world considers you a dangerous individual. You just constructed a size changing robot in your garage more or less. Who knows what you might build next? Show us you're a team player by fixing the controller for us, and we'll let you and your robot go back home where you can live happily ever after if that's what you really want."

Goro suspected that she was lying. "You know, Kyoko, you're not terribly attractive when you try to be intimidating. It just doesn't suit you." Goro stood up and looked back to the monitor at Jet Jaguar. "But, that robot is like a son to me, so if that's what it comes to, I'll fix your controller. But make no mistake, I built that robot because I'm a patriot, and if this is how my country rewards me for my act of valor, well, maybe when this is all over Jet Jaguar and I will go elsewhere."

xxx

Dr. Who scanned the headlines of the _Yomiuri Shimbun_ , one of Japan's leading newspapers. On page three there was an article about Goro Ibuki, the clever youngster who built Jet Jaguar. The Japanese government released a statement that Ibuki had accepted a position on Monsterland as a technician. His robot, because of its ability to communicate with kaiju, would be utilized as an intermediary between man and monster.

How enterprising, Dr. Who thought.

He tried to read further but Miss Aki Honeyblossom had a copy of _The Wall Street Journal._ She kept interrupting his reading regarding his stocks. They were going up, up, and up!

The reclusive scientist could care less. Once you master insider trading you can make a profit anywhere at any time.

"More tea, my dear?" Dr. Who offered to refill her cup.

"Yes, thank you."

He filled the cup to the brim. Now that she had something to drink she would not be able to talk.

He resumed reading. He was amused by the story. Tokyo was in effect telling the world, "Don't worry! We put Goro Ibuki and his robot someplace where they won't cause any trouble."

It was a shame how the world feared great men, although the doctor had to admit that it was his fault Goro was an outcast. People were assuming that Jet Jaguar could become a tool for destruction, like his robot, Mechani Kong.

That got Dr. Who thinking. Goro must be resentful in how he was being treated. Could the young genius be persuaded to become his partner?

"Miss Honeyblossom, radio my agent on Monsterland. Tell him I want Goro Ibuki as well as the Kilaak Controller brought to me."

"At once, Doctor." Honeyblossom set down the paper and headed for the communications room.

"Hurry!" he called after her as he checked his watch. "We have little time before my plan goes into operation."

Once Dr. Who had his hands on the Kilaak Controller, no one would be able to stop his Gargantuas.

Luckily, President Hopto and his Selginan cohorts also wanted the controller taken out of the hands of the United Nations so they could proceed with their plans. Dr. Who offered to seize it for them for an additional fee. They agreed. Dr. Who was now being paid to do something he was going to do anyway!

xxx

Once the dust settled in the kingdom of Selgina and it became clear that Selgina was a democracy, as promised by Hopto's administration, and it was a stable country, the United Nations readily accepted the former monarchy into the fold. Rogan, Hopto's propagandist, took a seat at the UN as Selgina's representative. Tomoko Mahiko of Japan's NHK News reported on Rogan's speech:

"Ambassador Rogan of the former Kingdom of Selgina, now the People's Democratic Republic of Selgina, made a plea to the nations of the world to help restore lost territory to the new republic. Rogan claimed the British seized 600 square kilometers of their territory and made it part of India back in the 19th century. He claimed an additional 500 square kilometers had been seized by Mao Tse-Tung's forces during the Communist takeover of China. As proof he cited old maps, diaries of local landowners, and land deeds. It is a fact both of these regions border Selgina and that most of the population are ethnically Selginan. Regarding Nepal, Rogan said the Himalayan country was once a province of Selgina and gave the people of Nepal an open invitation to once again become citizens of Selgina. The ambassador of Nepal countered Rogan's claim by saying Selgina was actually a province Nepal and gave an invitation to Selgina to once again be under the rule of Nepal. Representatives from India and China had no comment to Selgina's claims at this time."

To those who watched this broadcast, this was an inconsequential border squabble. What no one realized was that this was a prelude to a global catastrophe.

xxx

A feeling of dread crept up on Shindo Yamaguchi. As a member of the Japanese secret service he saw things pass his desk that would whip the general public into a panic. In this case, his boss Goro Yamashita had handed him photos from a village in the Cook Islands. The photos had been provided by Yamashita's contact in New Zealand.

The village had been decimated. Its inhabitants devoured. Grass huts lay torn to shreds. Palms trees had been stomped flat. Cars had been found crushed like soda cans and tossed hundreds of meters from the roads. Blood stained the wreckage in crimson gore.

Three months ago, the kaiju on Monsterland had broken loose from the island's security. It would be easy to conclude that Baragon, Varan, and other flesh-eating monsters had made a smorgasbord out of the village's inhabitants, but they would have left foot prints and drag marks with their tails. The New Zealand police found no such evidence. They did find one foot print—humanoid in shape—and gouges in the soil, and this was the part that filled Shindo with dread. In the opinion of the New Zealand police, it appeared a number of humanoid giants had raided the village then erased their tracks with their bare hands. The only reason why one foot print had been found was because the giants had missed it.

"You know what this means?" Shindo asked his boss.

Yamashita folded his hands on his desk and nodded. He stared back at Shindo with a grim eye. "The intelligence of these creatures is greater than any known kaiju. They may be capable of making tools. Maybe even their own civilization. With the world already over populated, imagine competing for living space with a race of giants."

"That's assuming these giants are as impervious to modern weapons as Godzilla," Yomo interjected. Yomo was Shindo's partner.

"They are nearly as big as Godzilla," Yamashita said. "Measurements taken from the footprint imply they are in the range of 35 to 40 meters tall. Odds are they are as tough as Godzilla."

"Did the New Zealanders send us any other evidence?" Shindo asked.

"They did. Bits of organic tissue had been found in the wreckage." Yamashita snapped his fingers, signaling a man from the hazardous materials department to open a case. Inside were four sealed glass containers. Each contained a sample of skin tissue. One sample was more hair than skin. The skin samples appeared to have a hardened texture, similar to scales. The skin was green, like algae, and the hair was coarse and black.

Shindo and his partner took a close look at the samples. As a precaution they abstained from picking up the containers.

Yamashita nodded to the man that he could close the case. He then slid the photos into an envelope and placed it into a briefcase which contained all documented evidence that the New Zealand authorities had forwarded to Japan. "Deliver this material to Monsterland. Director Manabe and her team will be able to identify what type of creatures we're dealing with."

"I already have an idea," Yomo said.

"So do I," Yamashita rebutted. "But I want to hear from the experts before issuing a report to the prime minister."

Shindo had his suspicions, too. But he concurred with his boss. They should wait until Kyoko's science team had a crack at this case.

Yamashita excused the man from hazardous materials. Shindo took this as his cue that the briefing was over. He slid the chair back and was about to get up when Yamashita asked him to wait a moment.

"Professor Goro Ibuki and his robot Jet Jaguar are at Monsterland. Shindo, I want you to keep an eye on him for the next three weeks. Send Yomo a report each week on his activities. Yomo, report to me and to no one else. I want the information loop on Professor Ibuki restricted to us three. "

Shindo frowned at his boss. "Don't tell me the government is getting swept up in the hysteria! I haven't met Ibuki, but if we start suspecting our own citizens of criminal intent without proof we'll kill incentive for our best and brightest inventors from excelling at what they do."

Yamashita put his palms up to stymy Shindo's outrage. "I agree. The rest of the world insist he's a security risk because he created a powerful robot, just like Dr. Who. So they're assuming he's cut from the same cloth as Dr. Who. What we need is an official record proving Professor Ibuki is a decent, trustworthy citizen. This is about creating a buffer zone between him and his critics. Are you up to the task? Both of you?" Yamashita included Yomo with his hard gaze.

Shindo exchanged looks with Yomo. His partner appeared to be up for the challenge. "That's much more reasonable. Consider it done, Chief."

 **Chapter 3: The Plague Unleashed**

Despite not having fought any major battles in the past several months, Godzilla felt groggy. Sometimes he swore beating up giant insects and cyborgs wasn't nearly as difficult as entertaining a hatchling. Minya needed near constant entertaining. Having Jet Jaguar drop in for a visit had helped, but now that he had shrunk back down to human size and gone inside, Minya had already grown bored again. The robot's ability to shrink in size seemed to fascinate Minya. If Godzilla didn't know better, he'd think Minya envied this ability to shrink down to human size. Why Godzilla didn't know, but the kid could dream about it at least.

At the moment Godzilla, his son and Kumonga were the only monsters left on the island. A fortunate break came for the others in the form of an earthquake that ravaged the island. This earthquake was the result of an underground nuclear test which provoked the insect monster Megalon to attack the surface world. Now all the monsters were free again, and the humans had yet to develop a means to recapture them. Godzilla staid on the island only because Minya was still too young to swim long distances. Plus, it wasn't such a bad place to be when one wasn't trapped there.

Minya tugged at one of his puffy silver dorsal plates yet again wanting to play a game of jump tail. It was a simple enough game wherein Godzilla swathed his tail back and forth and Minya jumped over it with glee. But not now, now was a time for sleep. Godzilla roared at Minya to be quiet and to take a nap and laid his head down. Before he could fall asleep he heard the "thwack-thwack" of one of the human's flying machines called a helicopter approaching the island. Little did Godzilla know, but the chopper carried Shindo Yamaguchi, a man who had been involved in many of Godzilla's adventures including his battles with the Super Allosaurus, Noregon, Gigan and Tryga.

The chopper dropped off Shindo at the landing site where Kyoko Manabe and her security chief were waiting. He handed his credentials to the security as per procedure. The security man verified his identity and returned his credentials.

Kyoko smiled. "Welcome to Monsterland."

Shindo returned her greeting. The briefcase containing the intelligence reports of the monster attack on the village in the Cook Islands was manacled to his wrist.

Security delivered the tissue samples to the lab as Shindo and Kyoko reconvened in her office. She signed the paperwork acknowledging receipt of the tissue samples and the intelligence documents. Shindo then unlocked the manacle and slid the briefcase over to Kyoko.

"How much has Tokyo told you about what happened at the Cook Islands?" Shindo asked.

"All I have been told was that there was a kaiju-related incident. Nothing more."

"Tokyo has not given me instructions to brief you on the situation but I am to remain available to answer questions. Everything you need to know is in here." He tapped the briefcase.

Kyoko frowned. The same dread that had filled Shindo was filling her, too. "How serious is this?"

"I am not at liberty to say."

Kyoko gasped. "That serious."

"Read the documents and draw your own conclusions. This incident is a New Zealand concern. They will decide what will be disclosed to the public and when. The only reason why we are involved is because our country has the experts on kaiju. Once your team has reviewed the evidence, deliver their report to me. I will forward it to Japan. From there it will be forwarded to the New Zealanders. Beyond that there is to be no discussion except between you and me, and only when necessary. In the meantime," Shindo smiled to help bolster her courage, "I'll just hang around the base. I would appreciate it if you do not disclose my purpose here."

"Of course," Kyoko said, understanding perfectly.

"As far as anyone is concerned I'm just another nosy bureaucrat," he added to be sure she understood.

Kyoko had a member of her staff show Shindo to his quarters. His suit case was waiting for him on the bed. He showered, shaved, and put on a change of clothes then checked the safety on his service pistol and hid the weapon in the secret compartment in his suit case. From the same compartment he extracted a tag and credentials which identified him as an auditor from the labor safety board. He pinned the tag to his jacket, straightened his tie, and went out for a stroll of the grounds. Might as well reconnoiter the layout of this place.

Kyoko met up with him later in the day and offered to introduce him to the star member of the team, Professor Goro Ibuki.

"Lead the way!" Shindo said. Part of his mission was to keep an eye on Ibuki-san.

As they entered the control room Goro was on his knees with what looked like some sort of futuristic socket wrench securing the Kilaak controller atop a pedestal. "Jet Jaguar, hand me that 9/16ths will you?"

Kyoko cleared her throat to alert Goro to their presence. He and Jet Jaguar both turned around.

"Goro, this is Shindo Yamaguchi." Shindo could tell by the way Kyoko spoke to Goro that she liked him.

Goro wiped off his hands on a rag as he stood up. He sized Shindo up as he walked towards him.

"Oh, are you another one of my babysitters?" Goro asked as he shook Shindo's hand.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I am an auditor for the labor safety board. If you have a complaint about your working conditions, give me a call." Shindo handed him his business card. The card was whipped up by the secret service to reinforce Shindo's cover. However, the contact information was legitimate. If Goro had anything to say, the secret service wanted to hear about it. "And this must be the famous Jet Jaguar."

Jet Jaguar stood and confronted Shindo. It was strange staring eye to eye with a pair of polarized lenses. It seemed as though there was actually someone alive within this whirring machine. The robot offered its hand.

Shindo hesitated to shake it.

"It's all right," Goro said. "He knows his own strength."

Shindo grasped Jet Jaguar's hand. He felt the steel talons under the soft rubber skin. Jet Jaguar could pulp his hand with ease, if the robot wanted to. The robot shook his hand firmly, but carefully, and nodded.

"He's a remarkable machine," Shindo said to Goro.

"He can do almost anything. But if you want to know how he changed his size I can't help you. It's a mystery to me as much as anyone else."

Goro shifted his gaze from Shindo to Kyoko, who was surprised to see the controller already functioning. "Don't worry. It's ready, I think."

"You think?" Kyoko looked concerned.

"Well, I did my best with it, but we're still talking about alien technology. And I feel it's only fair to caution everyone. I couldn't calibrate the controller to the exact same frequency as before." Goro warned.

"So you're saying—"

Goro shrugged his shoulders. "Different frequency, different results."

Kyoko and the techs exchanged a few concerned looks. "Well, there's only one way to find out. Mr. Yamaguchi, do you have any reservations about being on the island when we reactivate it?"

"None at all," Shindo said.

Kyoko walked over to the alien device. "Here goes nothing." She switched it on and it came whirring back to life.

In less than a minute a blip appeared on the radar. The tech at that station addressed Kyoko in a surprised tone, "Ma'am, we have our first asset approaching the island." The radar blipped again, and then again, so now three dots rapidly approached the island from the Southeast. "And two more," the befuddled tech muttered.

Kyoko was shocked. Maybe Manda, Varan and some of the other monsters hadn't wandered too far after all.

The radar screen lit up like a Christmas tree with seven more blips approaching from the north.

"Well, that must be the Rodans," Kyoko said nervously.

"Um, not exactly," the tech said worriedly. "Our radar indicates all these monsters are coming from the water, not the air."

Kyoko shot Shindo a concerned look. Only she and he knew that perhaps the mystery of the Cook Islands would be solved sooner than they thought.

Elsewhere on the island, Minya was playing a game, jumping over his father's twitching tail as he slept. Suddenly he felt frightened as if something evil were approaching. He had encountered evil before in the form of King Ghidorah the space monster, and whatever these monsters approaching were had a similar aura about them. Kumonga noticed it too, the giant spider had stopped his foraging through the jungle and crept down low, listening to the vibrations in the ground.

Inside the control room Kyoko bit her lip as Goro named off various monsters. "Let's see then, Manda, Varan, Baragon, Anguirus…no that doesn't make sense, there's still too many. And if they're not a flock of Rodans…"

Three more blips appeared on the screen meaning ten large bodied creatures were converging on the island. Previously the island had consisted of ten monsters plus Rodan's growing brood of pterosaurs. So unless the Rodans were inexplicably traveling by sea the island was about to get some new visitors that no one anticipated.

"There's more blips on the screen now than we have monsters. Are you sure it isn't a school of whales?" Kyoko asked the tech.  
"No, ma'am. The radar is set for beings 30 meters and larger. These are kaiju, which kaiju though I don't know."

"Ebirah, Kong, Megalon, Gigan perhaps?" Kyoko's deputy director kept on naming every monster in the book while Kyoko looked to Shindo again.

"No, Gigan and Megalon would never travel by sea. We don't know what we're dealing with. Let's shut it down," Shindo said anxiously.

A loud thud erupted above them as though some large being had jumped from the sea landing right on top of the bunker. The tech jumped in his seat and Kyoko threw her hand over her heart. "Too late! They're already here," the tech said. He looked to Kyoko. "What do we do?"

"Visual!" Kyoko shouted.

The tech did as ordered and the snarling visage of a green Gargantua filled the screen. "Gaira!" Kyoko shouted in disbelief. Finally, she and Shindo's suspicions were confirmed: the Gargantuas were back.

"He was supposed to have been vaporized in a volcanic eruption," Goro interjected.

In the next instant video snow blotted out the image on the screen.

"Camera 8 is offline," the tech said, his voice tense with urgency.

"Switch to cameras 6 and 7," Kyoko ordered. "I want to see what's out there."

No sooner she spoke, the techs lost contact with both cameras. Systematically the whole camera system went offline. They were now stuck underground, blind to what was happening on the surface. A feeling of being under siege filled the control room.

"Orders, Director?" the techs asked.

Kyoko bit her nail. Her youth and inexperience were beginning to show.

Goro interceded. "Jet Jaguar's photo receptors double as cameras. We can send him outside to be our eyes and ears."

Grateful, Kyoko accepted his help. Goro set up a monitor to receive a transmission from Jet Jaguar.

Jet Jaguar headed to the surface. On the monitor the control room team could see what was happening through his eyes.

At the moment nothing seemed to be happening. They saw the woods slowly pan across the screen. Everything appeared to be calm, peaceful.

Goro spoke into the mike. "Jet Jaguar, grow to full size."

Jet Jaguar grew from human height to his full 50 meters. As he did so, the view expanded across the clearing and over the tree tops.

Again, everything appeared to be calm, until Goro turned up the sound reception.

Godzilla's roar reverberated over the speaker followed by the crash of huge bodies striking the ground. Everything may have been calm by the bunker, but elsewhere on the island was an all-out war…

xxx

Before the humans down in the bunker had detected the giant monsters on their radar, Minya picked up their scent on the wind. He shook Godzilla's arm to wake him. Godzilla's eyes fluttered. When he too picked up the scent his eyes opened wide, he bared his teeth, and stood, letting loose a heart-pounding roar.

The scent had a different musk from other kaiju. It reminded Godzilla of a simian, like the giant ape King Kong.

To protect the younger kaiju, Godzilla shoved Minya into a cave and brought down the entrance to seal the cave. This should hide Minya's scent from the approaching simians.

He scaled the rise and scanned the horizon. Out in the ocean he spotted several apelike creatures swimming toward the shore. They were as green as a fresh water lake. Godzilla waited for them to come to him. He would torch them with his atomic ray the moment they set foot on the beach.

Then his ears picked up sounds scurrying through the forests. The wind blew in only one direction. So he could not detect the scent of these other intruders. He relied on the noise they made. From what he could tell there were four more, running in single file. They were not far, yet he could not see them. That meant they were ducking low. Such behavior was indicative of a hunter.

Godzilla grunted. Being a carnivore himself, there was something insulting about being hunted. It was like these hunters were presuming he was too stupid to know the tricks of the trade.

A flock of birds burst from the branches. That marked where the hunters were.

Godzilla let loose a searing blast with his atomic ray. The trees erupted into a bonfire. The hunters screamed in rage and bolted for the sea. When they reached the beach he could see them clearly. They were of the same species as the three creatures swimming toward the shore. The two groups met out in the shallow water, outside the range of his atomic ray. That was fine. Godzilla could wait for them to come to him.

The four he had chased out of the woods waved their arms angrily and pointed up at him.

The three that had just arrived from the sea stood up, carrying tree trunks with boulders tied to the ends with vines.

Tools! They were carrying tools. Up until now Godzilla had only seen the tiny humans carry tools. This was something new. Something dangerous.

Godzilla crouched down, tossing his tail menacingly.

The three green simians, or Gargantuas, as the humans called them, spread out and approached, slowly, brandishing their stone hammers. They were so far spread, Godzilla could only fire at one at a time. Godzilla showed them what he thought of their tactics. He drew in his breath. His fins flashed as he brewed up his atomic ray, and spewed his ray as a steady beam, firing at the leftmost Gargantua and swinging toward the other two.

The Gargantuas reeled in terror and splashed back into the water. Smoke billowed off their scorched flesh.

Godzilla roared triumphant.

But it was a short-lived victory.

The battle on the beach had distracted him from the commotion which was happening behind him. He turned and saw down by the cave a Gargantua ripping away the dirt and rock sealing the cave opening, trying to get to his son inside. Suddenly the creature clutched its neck as though it had been shot with a dart. Kumonga had stung the green menace just as it had him once on Solgel Island!

Godzilla gave the spider a surprised look. _If anyone eats that little tyke one day it will be me!_ The spider chirped.

An avalanche of boulders came tumbling down the slope, crashing upon the giant arachnid eight-legged kaiju. A half dozen Gargantuas, three green, two brown, and a red one, were up on the mountain slope, prying loose rocks out of the slope with their spears. The spears were made from longer, thinner tree trunks and stone tips that had been chipped to a sharp point.

Godzilla fired his atomic ray at this fresh group of attackers. Kumonga had defended his son, so he felt it was only right to defend the giant spider in turn.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the group on the beach charging toward him. He turned. The armed Gargantuas threw their hammers at him. He ducked from their weapons, but they gave the four unarmed Gargantuas time to close in on him. They leaped upon him, clawing his scaly hide with their thorny nails. Godzilla flipped them off his back. Their bodies hit the ground. The impact sounded like thunder. It was at this point Jet Jaguar came outside and heard the sounds of battle.

The giant robot flew toward the skirmish. It was easy to find with the amount of dust being kicked up in the air. What Jet Jaguar saw when he arrived look like a scene from a dinosaur movie. The Gargantuas were like cave men with their stone age tools. They surrounded Godzilla and Kumonga, making use of the high ground and ambush tactics. Jet Jaguar dropped down beside Godzilla. He countered the Gargantuas' prehistoric savagery with his programmed martial arts moves, chopping, blocking, flipping, and kicking. Three of the Gargantuas retrieved their stone hammers. Before they could regroup, Jet Jaguar summersaulted into their midst and delivered another series of kicks and chops. One Gargantua swung its hammer. The giant robot seized its wrist, grabbed the hammer, and proceeded to bop all three monsters on the head with their own weapon.

Back at the control room the situation had gone from bad to worse. No sooner than Jet Jaguar had left to help Godzilla the base had fallen under attack. Since Jet Jaguar was not in the area, Kyoko and her crew had to assume more Gargantuas had rushed out of the woods. They dug away the dirt covering the bunker complex and began hammering the top of the bunker.

"We've lost power!" the tech shouted as the room went dark. Shortly the emergency power kicked in bathing the room in an eerie red glow. "Back-up generator is now online."

"Why is this happening?" Goro asked, "This island is meant to withstand giant monsters is it not?"

"I don't know!"Kyoko shouted. "We've never had monsters like these before, they're so…vicious. The other monsters are peaceful, but with these, it's like they're trying to tear the island apart."

"The controller!" Goro exclaimed, "I think they want to get to the controller. Think about it, the Gargantuas are more humanoid than the reptiles, it must be affecting them differently."

"I agree," one of the techs stated. "Perhaps it would be best if we disconnect it and then evacuate the island."

"Perhaps he's right. Goro, disconnect the controller," Kyoko said.

"Have you given any thought on how you are going to get the controller off the island?" the helicopter pilot asked.

"The SY-3, of course." Kyoko switched on the monitor overlooking the hangar bay for the giant space plane.

The base then rocked. Dust sprinkled from the ceiling. Alarms wailed throughout the control room.

"The monsters have penetrated the bunker!" a tech yelled. "We have cave-ins on levels two, three, and four. Causality reports pending."

"Raise the SY-3 crew," Kyoko ordered.

"No response from their quarters. They may have been crushed in the cave-in."

Kyoko cursed.

"I can get the controller off the island with the chopper," the helicopter pilot said. "And Ibuki-san, too. As soon as I am clear I can contact the mainland and tell them to send a rescue ship for the rest of your team."

"Forget it." Goro said. "No special treatment for me. If the rest of you can't go, I'm staying."

Shindo noticed the helicopter pilot tense up.

"You figured out how to get the controller working again," Kyoko said. "For the sake of the rest of the world you are going to have to be evacuated with it."

Goro thought hard. The pilot stared at him, wanting to interject. But it would not be his place. The pilot did say, "If you're coming along with the controller, Ibuki-san, it's now or never. Wait any longer and the helicopter may be destroyed. Then no one is getting off this island."

Then an idea struck Shindo. "Ibuki-san, you claim that robot of yours can do anything, right?"

"Well, mostly anything."

"Close enough. Call him. I want him to fly us out of here."

"Are you crazy? He can't exactly carry all of us in the palm of his hand. There are too many."

"No, I mean I want him to fly us out in that," Shindo pointed to the monitor displaying the SY-3 on its screen.

Kyoko's eyes lit up. "Let's try it!"

"Will that suit you?" Shindo asked Goro.

Goro appraised him. "You're clever for a pencil-pushing bureaucrat."

"This is the computer age, Ibuki-san," Shindo retorted smartly. "We bureaucrats traded in our pencils ages ago."

"Are you sure you want to put all of your eggs in one basket," the helicopter pilot interjected. "If those creatures take down the SY-3 you will lose the Kilaak controller, Professor Ibuki, and Jet Jaguar."

"The SY-3 is fast and armored," Shindo countered. "It won't be taken down easily, like your helicopter."

"I am speaking to the director," the copter pilot retorted.

Kyoko thought hard. Did she want to package all of the islands assets into one vehicle? The SY-3 in of itself was of great value. "This is what we will do. We will use the SY-3 to attract the monsters' attention." To the pilot she said, "You get Goro and the controller out of here with the helicopter."

"Yes, ma'am!" The helicopter pilot saluted with a smile.

Shindo tried to give a counter-suggestion but Kyoko cut him off. "We have no time to discuss this. The decision is made. Everyone move out!"

The helicopter pilot and Goro, with the controller in his arms, rushed for the underground hangar for the helicopter. Kyoko lead everyone to the hangar sheltering the SY-3.

Back at the mountain, Godzilla and Jet Jaguar fought back to back. Boulders, spears, and whirling hammers flew at them. Godzilla fired back with his ray. Much of the forest had become a raging inferno. Jet Jaguar caught one of the boulders and hurled it back at their attackers.

The robot paused amidst the battle. He received a message from Goro: "Jet Jaguar, meet Director Manabe at the SY-3. Pilot her and her team to safety."

He looked to Godzilla apologetically.

 _It's Ok_ , Godzilla roared to him. _Protect the humans. I can fend for myself_.

Jet Jaguar took to the air.

Godzilla grunted. No, he could not fend for himself for much longer. His lungs ached. After firing his atomic ray so many times he was running out of breath.

Another of the Gargantuas leapt onto his back, and this one had the audacity to bite into one of his dorsal plates! To counter Godzilla flared his fins searing the Gargantuas mouth with their heat.

Underground, Shindo and the motley band of survivors piled into the SY-3's cramped cockpit. In a macabre way it was fortunate there were so few survivors, as the SY-3 was capable of only transporting a dozen or so people. Shindo buckled himself up in the co-pilot's seat while Jet Jaguar naturally took the captain's chair.

Shindo looked back to Kyoko, who seemed nervous. "What's the matter Kyoko, Captain Yamabe never took you for a ride in this thing?"

"Of course I've flown in the SY-3 before, only the pilot isn't usually a robotic version of Jack Nicholson!"

The robot leaned forward and switched on the ignition. Everyone immediately jolted back into their seats as the massive spacecraft began to take off. Jet Jaguar turned to Shindo and Kyoko and gave them a thumbs up.

Outside the Gargantuas took note of the vibrations coursing through the mountain. All heads turned toward the giant silver object rising from the top of the mountain. To the Gargantuas it looked like an ocean going vessel, only one that sailed through the sky. One thing the Gargantuas knew was that ships carried people, and people meant food. Immediately a swarm of Gargantuas bolted for the giant ship.

The SY-3 shook with a violent clang! Shindo jolted in his seat. "Something tells me that's not part of our flight plan. Kyoko?"

She turned to look out the window. "It's one of the Gargantuas! No, three of them! Jet Jaguar, try to shake them off!"

Jet Jaguar did his best, pulling up on the controls and taking the SY-3 high into the clouds to thinner atmosphere, but it was to no avail. The humanoid monsters retained their hold on the ship.

High in the clouds Rodan, Rodana and his brood consisting of five hatchlings soared towards Monsterland, slaves to the signal that had been emanating from its core. Though the signal had stopped, Rodan decided to fly in close and investigate. Something big was happening, a battle from the looks of things.

Elsewhere, Rodan could see the silver flying ship that frequented the island skimming erratically across the sky. Some of his younglings took note of the strange dark forms clinging to its surface. To them these new humanoid looking creatures meant a possible new delicacy of food. Stumpy veered off first as Rodana called to him to come back, it was dangerous. But he and Loki paid their mother no heed and veered for the ship to check it out.

Kyoko was watching from the window as she saw two of the hatchlings flying toward the SY-3. "Thank God, one of the Rodans is coming straight for us!"

"Well, there's something I never expected to hear you say," Shindo quipped.

Loki and Stumpy's three siblings followed them toward the SY-3. They fluttered about the heads of the Gargantuas, pecking at them to get a taste of their flesh. Satisfied with the flavor, the baby Rodans teamed up to pluck the Gargantuas off the space plane. They had figured out that when prey without wings hit the ground they don't get back up—they stay down and become easier to eat. Each Gargantua they plucked they let fall to the island below. The last Gargantua punched its fist through the ship's hull to get a hand hold. But it was to no avail. The blow to the spacecraft sent it spiraling. The Gargantua ended up being flung from the craft.

The Rodans left the SY-3 to its fate as they sored down to the ground to feast.

Inside the SY-3, warning lights flashed across the control panel. Jet Jaguar managed to level the plane, but they were losing altitude.

"Jet Jaguar, can you land this thing?" Shindo asked.

The robot shook his head and Kyoko backed him up. "He's right, the SY-3 can't put down on the water. And besides, if we did it would flood so fast we would all drown with the escape hatch already blown."

The escape hatch gave Shindo an idea, if there was enough time that is. "Jet Jaguar, do you think you can fly people out of here two at a time and drop them safely in the water?"

The robot shook his head no. When Shindo asked why the robot held up a finger and then motioned for him to take over the controls.

"What's he doing?" Kyoko asked, "Isn't he going to fly us out?"

"He has a plan. We will have to trust him." Shindo took the controls as Jet Jaguar popped the hatch and jumped out.

"He left us!" Kyoko said in shock, but then suddenly fell back into her chair as the ship began to regain altitude rapidly.

Shindo chuckled. "Look outside!"

Kyoko did as Shindo asked and could see that the ingenious robot had grown to giant size and was now carrying the ship! Jet Jaguar took the SY-3 to the naval base on Hachijo Island. Kyoko reported to the base commander what happened. She asked about her helicopter.

"It has not arrived," the base commander said. "We can try to raise it to be sure Goro and your pilot are safe."

"Do so." Kyoko joined the commander in the radio room. The signals officer tried to raise the chopper.

Nothing.

The chopper was not even on the radar scope.

"Your chopper may have been destroyed by the monsters," the commander said. "I will send out a search team."

Kyoko thanked him. She stood before the window overlooking the ocean, praying for a sign to appear over the waves to show that the helicopter was safe. The last she wanted to do was stand before the United Nations and have to explain how she lost the Kilaak Controller, the one machine that kept the world safe from the giant monsters, and Professor Goro Ibuki, the one man who had the skill to maintain it.

xxx

Hachijo Island was due north of Monsterland. Kyoko's helicopter pilot flew due west and landed aboard the landing deck of a ship.

"Where are we?" Goro demanded.

The pilot merely smiled and unbuckled from his seat. Goro hopped out, too.

The ship's crew wore black uniforms and yellow helmets. They rushed forward to lockdown the helicopter.

Another man came forward, a skeletal figure wearing black clothes. He flung aside his cape and reached out to shake Goro's hand. "Welcome aboard, Professor Goro Ibuki. I am Dr. Who."

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

_**Plague of the Gargantuas**_

 **Part Two**

 **By Neil Riebe and John LeMay**

 **Chapter Four: Outbreak**

The Himalayan Mountains could be considered as the second Great Wall of China. They blocked the tropical storms blowing in from the south from crossing the border. North of the mountains, the landscape was barren, harsh, and prehistoric—perfect for Hoorka, the Gargantua chief. An icy wind tugged at his tangled hair. He stood on the slope overlooking the villages dotting the Tibetan plateau. Humans were small. But humans were food. Like ticks on a monkey's back, they could be plucked from their dwellings and consumed.

He raised his spear with both hands, giving the signal.

His warriors leapt from the crevasses, bearing torches. They set fire to the villages. The humans fled their burning homes. The warriors chased them into the crevasses where they became trapped. Humans could run but they were poor climbers.

Hoorka turned toward his harem of females which were waiting on the slope. They looked up at him, jaws drippings. He extended his hand toward the trapped humans. Go. Eat your fill.

The females bolted down the slope, shrieking with delight. They joined the warriors. The tribe feasted on the humans trapped in the gully.

Hoorka sighed in satisfaction. He possessed the key trait of a good chief: he could feed the tribe. Once they were full they would find cattle. Cattle meat was fit for a chief. He needed it. He was fifty meters tall, a goliath among goliaths. However, cattle meat was rare in this arid land. Thus the tribe must get their fill first so they would not be tempted to eat the meat fit for him.

Hiska, his right hand, touched his shoulder to get his attention. He tapped his head and grunted.

Hoorka groaned. Hiska had an idea. Hoorka was suspicious of ideas. They appeared in the mind. They excited him. They frightened him. They made him brood. Then they faded like morning mist and all the importance they carried faded away with them. Phantoms. That was what ideas were.

He believed in following nature's ways. Hungry? Eat. Tired? Sleep. Nature's guidance was clear. Simple. Wise.

Yet, Hoorka could not deny ideas have served the tribe. It was Hiska's idea to create tools. Tools were good. So, Hoorka listened.

Hiska carved a circle in the slope and drew cattle. The figures were crude but readable. He surrounded them with stick men and thrust his hand at the carvings, grunting, _Humans! Humans!_

He carved out larger stick figures to represent Gargantuas and grunted, _Us! Us!_

Hiska motioned back and forth between the two sets of figures until Hoorka understood. The humans always had food. The tribe did not. Hiska carved a circle around the humans and cattle, then surrounded the circle with Gargantua stick figures. He looked up to his chief, grinning.

Hoorka understood. They must create a pen to contain both the humans and the cattle so like the humans the tribe will always have food. He nodded in agreement. This would be good.

Then came the sounds of the unlife—the creatures the gods called "machines". The gods decreed machines must be destroyed.

Hoorka bellowed to the tribe, giving the call to battle.

The Gargantuas fled back up the slope, leaving behind smoldering villages down on the plateau, and grabbed their weapons. They crouched in the crevices of the mountain slope, watched, and waited as Chinese helicopter gunships came roaring towards them. The Chinese pilots spotted several Gargantuas and opened fire with their chain guns. Anti-tank missiles followed the streams of bullets.

Hoorka roared and made a throwing motion.

Boulders were hurled at the choppers, knocking many of them out of the air. The survivors withdrew out of range and resumed fire.

Hoorka emerged out of the open to draw their fire. He sustained their bullets and missiles. Ignoring the sting. He showed his tribe why he was chief. Why they could follow him. He was powerful. He would sacrifice his life for them. He held up his spear and let out a war shriek.

His spear handlers charged down the slope, leapt into the air, and thrust their spears. The helicopters found themselves caught in a crossfire. The spears pierced them so swiftly, so powerfully, they punched through their hulls. The flying machines spun out of control and crashed, bursting into flames upon the hard soil.

The Gargantuas retrieved their spears and danced around the burning wreckage.

Next came the machines which crawled across the ground—tanks, armored personnel carriers, and self-propelled artillery.

Hoorka called the warriors back to the slope to man the catapults.

The artillery wasted no time in opening fire. Artillery rounds exploded all around the tribe. Rock fragments cut their shaggy hides and stung their eyes. Their ears rang from the exploding shells. Little could be done. The artillery was too far away.

The tanks and armored personnel carriers, under the cover of their guns, swept across the plateau, leaving behind them a rising cloud of dust.

Crouching behind cover, Hoorka raised his hand. When the unlife came within range he signaled the catapults to fire. Massive boulders smashed the ranks of the tribe's enemies. Bands of humans abandoned their machines in panic. Others bravely continued their charge. They reached the foothills. Already they were close enough to use their guns.

Hoorka made a pushing motion.

His warriors pushed the loose rocks, creating an avalanche.

As the battle raged, Hoorka received word from the gods. He hissed toward Hiska and swept his arms to the tribe, ordering his right hand to take command, then bound over to the opposite side of the mountain range. There he got down onto his knees and raised his hands to the sky. In his thoughts he said, _I listen_.

A voice spoke in his thoughts. "This is President Hopto."

 _Where is Father God?_ Hoorka asked in his thoughts.

Hopto sat at a control panel with a mic at his command center in Selgina. Malnek stood at his side. Both men were looking at the main view screen, which was murky with ever changing colors. Father God was the Gargantua's name for Dr. Who. The evil genius had created the Hoorka tribe. It was his prototype. This was the same tribe which raided the Cook Islands and Monsterland. As part of their agreement, Dr. Who passed the care of the tribe onto Hopto. Hopto created three more tribes, each one given the task to attack the nations bordering Selgina. Their activities could be seen on the other view screens.

"Father God has ascended into heaven," Hopto said. "He has entrusted your soul to me. Show me what you have accomplished."

Hoorka recalled the day's raids and the ongoing battle. His memories came up on the main view screen.

Hopto covered his mic and said to Malnek, "It is amazing what Dr. Who's device can do. Those images are its thoughts." As Dr. Who had promised, his device was an exact copy of the Kilaak controller. It was mounted to the main console. The tetrahedron device spun languidly inside its globe.

Malnek was more impressed by how effectively the Gargantuas have crushed the Chinese army. "The Hoorka tribe is the most experienced. We should use it in defense of the homeland. We can always replace them in the field with a new tribe."

Hopto concurred. He spoke into the mic. "I am pleased, Chief Hoorka. It is time for your reward. What do you want? What does your people want? Think hard. Give me a clear picture."

A primitive community appeared showing Gargantuas keeping cattle in pens, but the cattle were not cows. They were men.

###

On Hachijo Island, Shindo briefed the base commander and his staff on the attack on Monsterland and the raid on the Cook Islands. "The bottom line is the Gargantuas have returned. They are spawning at an accelerated rate. They are capable of constructing weapons. And they have not lost their appetite for human flesh."

"In your estimation," the base commander said, "how much of a threat are these Gargantuas? If they can make Stone Age weapons, how far up the food chain are they? How would you rate their workmanship? Paleolithic, Mesolothic, or Neolothic?"

Shindo had to think. It had been a while since he studied prehistory. "I would say their spears were of the same quality as our ancestors' at the end of the Ice Age. It is a fair bet they have already formed tribal communities. They may not be far from establishing agricultural communities. If that happens we are going to be in an all-out war for living space."

The base commander said to Kyoko, "Then it is imperative we find Professor Ibuki and the Kilaak controller."

Kyoko acknowledged him with a grim nod.

Shindo bowed signaling he had concluded his briefing. Kyoko took his place at the podium.

"First things first, gentlemen," Kyoko began. "What you have been told about what happened on Monsterland remains on base. I want every boat and aircraft at your disposal searching for our helicopter. The Kilaak controller is our only hope of stopping the Gargantuas. The alternative is to spill a lot of blood, your blood and the blood of your troops. I don't want to see that happen and I know you especially do not want that to happen, either. Do I have your cooperation?"

The base commander and his staff nodded whole heartedly.

"We do not have much time. We can block news from leaving the base. But eventually the relatives of my staff will want to get in touch with their loved ones and when they can't they will be asking questions. Are there any further questions? No? Then let's get started."

The base commander and his subordinates left the briefing room to rally their men for the search. Shindo noticed Kyoko biting her nail. His best guess was that she was fretting over Goro.

"Don't worry, he's alive." Shindo said to her quietly.

"How did you…is it that obvious?"  
"Yes," Shindo smiled kindly.

"What makes you think he made it off the island?"

"Because I think he was kidnapped. The chopper pilot was manipulating the situation the whole time. It was his idea to take Goro and the controller off the island, and when Goro initially refused to leave, the pilot tensed up."

Kyoko gave him a shocked look. "And I agreed to his plan. Are you certain he kidnapped Goro?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out. That information also stays between us, because if your chopper pilot was a mole who knows who else might be around here. Come on, let's go check on our patient."

Shindo took the worried Kyoko by the arm to sick bay, where one of the surviving Monsterland techs had been looking at Jet Jaguar, who had finally come back online. Shindo knew the man, one of the world's leading electronics experts, Takeshi Shima, because he had interviewed him once in relation to an incident with the monster Gigan several years ago. Like Goro, Shima too had received "special appointment" to the Monsterland staff.

"How's he doing?" Shindo asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly any robot doctor," Mr. Shima said, "but from the best that I can tell he's wildly overheated."

"But I don't understand," Kyoko said. "Goro never mentioned this happening before?"

Shima shrugged his shoulders. "As I understand it, before this Jet Jaguar had fought one battle against Megalon and Gigan with the aid of Godzilla. This time he fought off a veritable monster army, after which he singlehandedly carried the SY-3 through the skies and then landed it, not an easy task by any means. I can't say for sure, but I think he needs time to recharge."

About that time an aid poked his head in and addressed Shindo and Kyoko.

"Excuse me, ma'am, sir, you're wanted back in the briefing room."

As Shindo and Kyoko returned to the meeting hall, several hundred miles away, a briefing of a different sort was happening between Godzilla, Minya, Kumonga and the Rodans on Ogasawara. The ape-like monsters that had attacked the island were unlike anything they had ever seen before. They were almost like giant feral humans! Fighting off these beasts had been difficult and Godzilla feared he had only done so with the aid of Jet Jaguar and the others.

 _We must hunt them before they breed in greater numbers_ , Godzilla grunted. Having a brood of their own to protect, Rodan and Rodana concurred. However, to defeat a tribe of such creatures, they would need the help of the other kaiju. Godzilla asked Rodan if he knew just where the others were. Rodan would know because he could travel great distances at a high rate of speed. That, and he was nosy.

Rodan responded that he had last seen Varan and Manda at sea and Baragon was on the trail of another kaiju in the Arctic. He did not know where Gorosaurus or Anguirus were.

 _Find them,_ Godzilla growled. _Warn them of the new threat we face_.

Rodan clucked in agreement and took to the skies with his brood to rally the troops. Minya swiped his fist into the air. He wanted to fight, too. Godzilla would have to find someone to watch his son while these new creatures were at large, and he knew just who to ask.

 **Chapter 5: Doctor Who Seeks a Protégé**

The news media had equated Goro Ibuki to Dr. Who because they had both created a powerful robot. Now Goro was Dr. Who's prisoner. Goro could only imagine what the media would say. The reporters would try to make him appear as though he were Who's accomplice.

After Dr. Who had greeted him, the guards locked him in a cabin below deck.

An idea occurred to him. He still had his medallion, the one he used to control Jet Jaguar by voice command. When he arrived at Doctor Who's hideout, he could summon Jet Jaguar. The robot could destroy the base's defenses and bring the evil scientist to justice. That should prove for once and for all he was not the same man as Dr. Who.

Yes, Goro thought. That was what he would do.

An hour of tension passed. Dr. Who returned. His guard unlocked the door and the rogue scientist stepped into the cabin.

"We are in open waters, safe from detection," Dr. Who said. "Will you join me on the deck?"

"Do I have a choice?"

The doctor's smile remained, but his gaze somehow grew teeth. "Of course you have a choice. And so do I." The emphasis in his voice made it clear the doctor would use force.

Goro opted to accompany the doctor to the deck. They sat at a table with an umbrella shielding them from the sun. The ship undulated languidly over the rolling waves. Miss Honeyblossom was there wearing a wide brimmed hat and sun glasses.

"You are a popular fellow," she said to Goro after they had been introduced. She handed him the LA Times editorial page. It had another scathing piece about him and Jet Jaguar. The author postulated along the same tired lines. Could Jet Jaguar become a terror weapon? Do we know Goro Ibuki as well as we should?

He handed the paper back to her and gave Dr. Who a narrow-eyed look, letting his captor know he was not amused.

Honeyblossom poured Goro a glass of iced tea.

"Can we cut to the point?" Goro asked.

The doctor grinned. "Sure. Which point do you wish to discuss?"

"Why am I here?"

"Don't you like it here?" The doctor looked side to side at their surroundings, the blue sky and rolling tropical sea.

"Stop fencing with me!"

"As you wish. But you should think about my question. Compare where you are now, out here, in the fresh air as opposed to the bunker."

"When I was at the bunker I was a free man. Here," Goro tapped the table with an angry finger, "I am a prisoner."

Dr. Who chuckled. "You will always be someone's prisoner, Goro. You have talent but no power. No one is going to allow you to be a free man."

Goro recalled what he could do. All it took was one word and Jet Jaguar would be here. It was tempting to call his robot now to show how "powerless" he was.

"Miss Honeyblossom," the doctor said, "will you please straighten the professor's collar?"

Goro was taken aback as the young woman reached for his shirt collar. Before he knew it, her fingers plucked the medallion from around his neck. He cursed the doctor's cleverness. If a man had reached for the medallion he would have shoved the intruder away. Because a woman did it, his first instinct was to be polite and not touch her.

Miss Honeyblossom handed Goro's medallion to the doctor.

Goro ground his jaw in frustration.

"I saw that look in your eye," Dr. Who said. "Learn how to hide it or it will betray you every time." He examined the medallion in interest. "So this allows one to talk to your marvelous robot."

"All right," Goro said, getting back down to brass tacks, "you took my only means of escape. Tell me what you want of me."

"I want you to be my partner."

"Forget it! You might as well kill me now."

"And that will make the world happy," Miss Honeyblossom said with a smile.

Goro reacted with a start. In a way she was right. The rest of the world feared him.

"Relax." Dr. Who took a draught of his iced tea. "I am not interested in making the world happy. I am only interested in making me happy. I appreciate your position. Even sympathize. You see yourself as a good man. Therefore you cannot work with me because you see me as evil. Fair enough. However, for the sake of your survival you need to make an honest appraisal of your situation. If I released you, where would you go? Do you think you can go home? Of course not. Your government will ship you back to the bunker on Monsterland. There you will stay until the world stops being scared of you and by the time they do you will be an old, old man. Then you will be allowed to go home. Except home will no longer be familiar to you because life has passed you by. You will be as lost as a prisoner." The doctor thrust his finger at Goro, "That is the salient point. You were not given a job on Monsterland. You were incarcerated. That bunker was your prison. Could you ever leave to get a little sun on your face with those giant monsters stomping around? Do you think you would have been granted a two week vacation so you could leave the island? Did they even talk to you about vacation time?"

Come to think of it, Kyoko had made no mention that he would have been granted leave time from the base. Or even pay.

"Even so," Goro said, "I would rather be a prisoner serving a useful function for society than helping you kill and destroy. I take it the Gargantuas are your creation."

Dr. Who neither confirmed nor denied.

Goro glanced to Honeyblossom. She was equally poker faced, her eyes unreadable behind her sunglasses.

"That is easy to say when you have only served a couple days of your sentence. Let's see how you feel after serving a couple decades." The doctor smirked.

"We can find out," Goro said defiantly. "Release me and I'll tell you twenty years from now."

"You should think it over first."

Two guards stepped up behind Goro. That was his cue to get up. The guards, Dr. Who, and Miss Honeyblossom escorted him back to his cabin.

"One last thought," Dr. Who said. "Compare your morality to the morality of the rest of the world. Are they equal? Or is yours greater than theirs? And if it is, is it worth living up to when it is going to cost you your freedom?"

"One last thought for you," Goro shot back. "The world fears me because of you. You're the reason why I was shipped to Monsterland. Go ahead and try to make me think I need to run to you to get away from them. You're the one who terrified them with your robot monster!"

"And all you need to do is redeem yourself in their eyes and they will embrace you once again?" Who snorted with contempt. "Has it ever occurred to you they are using me as an excuse to hate you? Well?" He chuckled again, confident in his side of the argument.

Miss Honeyblossom dropped off a stack of newspapers and magazines on the end table by the bed. "More reading material for you."

"And they are all full of articles about how I am a threat to society."

"They are," Honeyblossom acknowledged. "You can also read about the behavior of government, of social activists, of religious groups, and just plain people. See if they are really much different from us. Maybe you will see it does not matter who you side with, you will be siding with evil—as you define evil." She smiled sweetly and joined Dr. Who out in the corridor.

"Get yourself some rest, Goro," the doctor smiled.

The door closed. The lock snapped tight.

Dr. Who's ship sailed southwest from Ogasawara Island to the Indian Ocean. Goro Ibuki saw little of the evil doctor, but plenty of Miss Honeyblossom. She brought him breakfast, provided a morning massage, and served him lunch. She was all short-shorts, loose tops, and charming smiles. One would get the impression Dr. Who was using her to seduce Goro to the dark side.

Goro had his integrity. It was not going to work, although he would be a liar if he said that he did not enjoy her company.

They continued sailing southwest, slipping into cooler latitudes. Honeyblossom started wearing slacks and blouses. Soon, turtle neck sweaters replaced the blouses.

The only time Dr. Who made an appearance was over dinner, after sunset.

Goro had heard how brilliant the sky was after dark, outside the city, yet he was not prepared for the scintillating beauty. Out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, at night, where there were no street lights, it was black as death. One could not see the ocean. Only hear the sloshing of the waves. Then when you look up…The sky was all diamonds on black velvet.

At this time of night, Dr. Who was at his most captivating. Goro envied his casual, man-about-town demeanor as he poured everyone drinks and chatted about obscure places of the world. Cuisine, cultural nuance, the doctor was a fount of life experience. Goro felt diminished when he compared his cloistered life to Dr. Who's, and the government made his life even more cloistered when they shipped him to Monsterland.

The ship turned due south. Ice formed on the cables and railings. Frost glazed over Goro's port window. It was as if they sailed from summer into mid-January. The engines turned over into a grinding roar. Bells rang up top and sailors ran across the deck, shouting to each other. They were coming into port. The only question was, where?

Miss Honeyblossom arrived at his quarters, same time as always, 7am, but without his breakfast. Instead she gave him winter clothes. She, too, wore winter clothing.

"Where are we?" Goro asked as he zipped up the coat and swung the scarf around his neck.

"We arrived at Heard Island," Honeyblossom said. "Officially we are in Australian territory but it will not feel like it when we go outside. We are a thousand miles north of Anatarctica and the weather here is not much different from the weather down there."

She took him to the deck. Big Ben, the island's one mountain, dominated the horizon. Glacier's covered its surface, making the mountain look like a giant snow bank. Snow fluttered from gray skies. The air had sharp, January teeth.

Honeyblossom escorted him across the dock, to a bunker piled high with snow and rock. From the air, the structure would be indistinguishable from its surroundings. Vehicles drove back and forth from the dock to the bunker. Inside, the bunker was bustling with workers sorting crates filled with supplies. Armed guards in black uniforms and yellow helmets stood watch from the catwalks.

Dr. Who met up with Goro here in this busy complex. "Come. I will show you around."

Who's complex had a well-equipped research center, 3500 square feet of factory floor space, and all the amenities of a mansion. The tour ended at his study. Portraits of the great inventors from Leonardo di Vinci to Benjamin Franklin to Tesla adorned the walls.

"Name an inventor who is a household name today," Dr. Who said.

Goro could not think of anyone.

"Now name an inventor who is a household name since the dropping of the atomic bomb."

Again, Goro could think of no one.

Dr. Who chuckled. "Neither can I. Oh, I can name talented men and so can you, but who is familiar with these people outside scientific circles? The only exception is Dr. Serizawa. People remember him because his oxygen destroyer stopped Godzilla. But few are aware he worked in secret out of fear of the public. Ever since the A-bomb, people have been afraid of scientists. Popular culture portray us as mad men. To keep us reigned in, society channels us into working for corporations and the government. There society can control us. Tell us what we can and cannot do. Consequently, inventors of today live in obscurity, live a life of dissatisfaction, working on projects given to them rather than fulfilling their dreams."

The doctor retained his gaze on the portraits in reflection.

Goro gazed at the portraits with him, feeling a sense of kinship. These men were Goro's inspiration, and Goro had little doubt they had inspired Dr. Who as well.

"Actually, one inventor has made a household name for himself. You, Dr. Who. It is a shame you have earned your fame through terrorism."

"My one fault was that I had contempt for mankind," the doctor said. "The nations of the world wanted weapons. So I provided them and watched in delight as they used my inventions to destroy each other. I became rich. The money gave me the freedom I needed to fulfill my dreams. But now it is too late. I am old. My reputation is forged. I will never be worthy of these men here," he swept his hand across the room. "But you are young." He turned toward Goro. "It is not too late for you. Your portrait belongs here." He pointed to the empty space on the wall beside Tesla. "If this is the type of man you wish to become, I can help you fulfill your destiny."

 **Chapter Six: The Monsters Fight the Plague**

Before Godzilla began his hunt for the Gargantuas, he needed someone to watch Minya and he knew the perfect babysitters. He and Minya were greeted by the twin fairies, who as usual knew he was coming before he did, the moment they stepped foot upon Infant Island. "Greetings Godzilla, we have been expecting you," they said in unison.

Godzilla ignored their salutations and ask where Mothra was.

The fairies put a picture in his mind's eye of Mothra's cocoon. Godzilla grunted in frustration. "Godzilla, what terrible language. Swearing won't accelerate her metamorphosis." Godzilla was irritated as since he last saw Mothra during her time corralled on Monsterland she was a larva, and assumed that by this point she would have transformed into her Imago stage. "But have no fear, Godzilla. The monsters you seek will not be visiting this island. Their attention will be drawn elsewhere," the fairies told him to ease his concerns. "Your son will be safe and we are more than capable of watching over him while you are away."

Godzilla grunted, which was as close to a thank you as he could manage, and asked that they please inform Mothra of the strange humanoid monsters that he was currently hunting.

"When Mothra emerges, we assure you that she shall aid you in your quest."

 _Well tell her to hurry up_ , Godzilla told them. He turned to Minya. A growl simmered in his throat as a warning to Minya to behave himself in his father's absence. Godzilla then waded off to sea and began the hunt.

Meanwhile in the skies above Asia, Rodan soared over the Himalayas. Before tracking down his fellow archosaurs from Monsterland, he needed to know just where these new enemy monsters were congregating. He had managed to follow their stench all the way to these mountains. Below he could see a human village, but something was amiss. He could see the humans too. This wasn't right, humans were too tiny to spot from this high in the air, and yet he could see them, hundreds of them. That is unless…surely not. The new monsters couldn't multiply that fast. Or could they? Rodan felt a chill run down his spine as he realized the hundreds of forms he saw below were not humans, but the Gargantuas. Godzilla was right, they really would need all the help that they could get.

On the ground below, Hoorka spotted the giant bird flying through the sky. He had seen it before on the island of the giant reptile, Godzilla. The bird was an ally of the reptile, and in Hoorka's mind was stalking them. Hiska tugged at his arm and pointed to the sky. _Yes, I see it too,_ Hoorka hissed. _We will kill it_.

Hoorka raised his spear into the air, preparing to throw. Again Hiska tugged at his arm preventing him from launching the spear. Hoorka turned to him and growled. How dare he stop him! Hiska bowed in forgiveness and pointed to his head, signaling he had yet a new idea. So far all of Hiska's ideas had led to good things. Hoorka would listen.

Hiska began drawing in the dirt as he always did to present a plan. He made the form of Godzilla and then Rodan, and then compared them to himself and Hoorka. _They are part of the same tribe, like you and I_.

 _Yes, that is why I wish to kill him_ , Hoorka answered angrily. Hiska began drawing again, it looked to be some sort of trap. Hiska looked up at him from his drawing and hissed, _It would be better to capture him_. Hoorka began to understand Hiska's idea. After capturing the bird, they could use it for leverage. Godzilla was loyal to the bird. If Godzilla came to attack, they could threaten him with the life of his tribesman.

Hoorka looked back to the sky. The bird was gone, but next time they would be ready for him.

###

The United Nations held an emergency meeting regarding the Gargantuas. Across the world, people were glued to their televisions to see what the world's leaders would do about this new menace. The representatives of India, Bhutan, Nepal, and China accused Selgina of being behind the attacks. The coincidence was too strong. Days ago Selgina demanded territory from these four countries. Now the Gargantuas were running wild in the very land the Selginans claimed to be theirs.

Rogan responded: "I do not blame you for being suspicious. I would be, too, if I were in your position. However, consider this. How could the Kingdom of Selgina be able to breed so many Gargantuas in so little time? How would we breed them at all? The only two known Gargantuas were Sanda and Gaila. They both inhabited Japan. Both died in Japan. Both were off shoots of the Frankenstein monster, which was also last seen in Japan. Japan leads the world in kaiju science. They manage Monsterland, and rightly so. Their scientists raised Sanda, the Brown Gargantua and had collected tissue samples from Gaila, the Green Gargantua. If any nation on this Earth has the capacity to breed Gargantuas it would be Japan."

The other delegates grumbled to one another. To accuse Japan, a frequent victim of kaiju attacks, was not appropriate.

Rogan continued. "Now, I am not accusing the Japanese. However, if we are going to use circumstantial evidence to lay blame, that blame can fall on any number of nations." He held up a binder containing documents. "What I have here are data collected by our Department of Wildlife. This will show that the Gargantuas have been sighted inside our borders as well. We are suffering from the same infestation as you. We have not had the problems as our neighbors because we possess a device which can repel the Gargantuas."

The delegates scuffed. No one could believe a tiny, land-locked kingdom with little industry could create such a device.

"Substantiate your claim," the Chinese delegate shouted. "Let's see this device."

"For me to reveal the details of the device would be a violation of the intellectual property rights of the device's owner," Rogan explained. "The device is called the Kaiju Repeller. It was developed and produced by a private Selginan tech company. My government uses it under license. If Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal want our aid, we are willing to negotiate a settlement in which we will be able to use the device to repel the Gargantuas from their territory."

Yamashita switched off the television. He had flown to Hachijo base as soon as he received Shindo's report on what happened at Monsterland. "I bet my pension the Selginans stole the Kilaak Controller."

"Could they pull off such a heist?" Kyoko asked.

"The Selginan Assassins Guild is the best in the world," Shindo told her. "The royal family did its utmost to stamp them out. Instead the Guild stamped them out and are backing President Hopto. If Ibuki is still alive, Selgina would be the place to search for him. Chief," he switched his attention to Yamashita, "we should call Rogan's bluff. Can you arrange for our government to seek a license from this 'Selginan tech firm' to use the Kaiju Repeller?"

Yamashita smiled grimly. "Better still, I will forward your suggestion to the Chinese embassy. People may ask why Japan would need the Repeller when we are supposed to have the Kilaak Controller. We do not want anyone to find out yet that it has been stolen."

Kyoko agreed wholeheartedly.

"Yomo is at the United Nations keeping an eye on Rogan," Yamashita continued. "I will have him get us a copy of those reports Rogan held up for the camera so we can see if they are legitimate. I want you to find Goro Ibuki and the Kilaak Controller," he pointed at Shindo. "Start your search in Selgina."

"I will go with him," Kyoko said.

Yamashita frowned at her. "You are free to accompany him, but your safety will be your responsibility. He has a job to do."

"Don't worry," Kyoko smiled, "I will bring someone along who can watch out for both of us."

###

So far Rodan had managed to locate the usual suspects. As was typical, Varan had quietly slipped back into his lake in the Japanese Mountains. Baragon he found all the way in the frozen land to the south. Anguirus he found soaking up the sun on Iwato Island. Manda, lazy serpent that he was, hadn't strayed too far from the Bonin Islands. Now Rodan was on the trail of Gorosaurus. He had first sought out the dinosaur on Mondo Island, but when he flew over he saw only the big ape King Kong. Rodan decided not to enlist the giant gorilla. His species was too similar to the Gargantuas. Rodan feared Kong would join them. Plus, Godzilla hated Kong with a passion as they were instinctive rivals. That, and Kong was one of the few giant kaiju to ever beat Godzilla one on one in a fight. Knowing Gorosaurus to be a notoriously slow swimmer, Rodan checked a few of the islands north of Mondo. As Rodan suspected Gorosaurus was laying over on one of them taking a break from the ocean. Rodan wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find the saurian, but for a simple dinosaur, Gorosaurus was actually quite handy in a battle. Once Rodan had seen him deliver the knock-out blow to their old rival King Ghidorah, no easy task.

Gorosaurus didn't seem enthused to see Rodan. Usually the only times the two crossed paths were when Rodan wanted something. His guttural sigh clued Rodan into this fact and essentially translated into, _What do you want?_

In a series of excited bellows and chirps Rodan communicated to him that Monsterland had been attacked by a tribe of new monsters. _Good, why should I care if a horde of monsters attacks that prison,_ was his response. _Besides, I'm on my way to settle an old score with Kong._

Rodan had to think fast. Settling a score with an old rival was as good an excuse as any to neglect helping one's brethren fight a horde of monsters who had never done anything to him personally. But then it hit him. These new monsters, he explained, were humanoid, just like Kong! In fact they smelt and looked even worse than Kong and multiplied rapidly. If they weren't dealt with first, the world would be overrun by the hideous creatures.

 _All the more reason I should take care of Kong first_ , was Gorosaurus's response. Rodan rebutted, _and what if Godzilla and the others fail to beat this monstrous horde? Then you'll have to face them all alone after we are dead. We archosaurs are few now, but these new man-creatures are many. We will need all the help we can get to prevail if we are to survive. Otherwise, we truly will be extinct._

Truthfully, none of the kaiju he had spoken to so far cared to go and fight until he made the very point he had made to Gorosaurus now. It had worked on the others, and it seemed to be working on Gorosaurus. Just like the others, Gorosaurus had no desire to turn into the last dinosaur. Gorosaurus finally relented. _All right, where do we meet?_ He grunted. Rodan breathed a sigh of relief. The old gang was back together again.

As agreed, Godzilla rendezvoused with the other monsters on Letchi Island in the South Pacific. It was the agreed upon spot to meet, lest the humans trap them again in Monsterland. All had shown up for Baragon, who Rodan told him was on the trail of a metallic version of King Kong in the ice lands to the south, though Godzilla thought he was probably making the whole thing up. After all, what idiot would ever make a robot of King Kong? Godzilla stood atop a summit with Rodan on one side of him and Anguirus on the other. Below him were Gorosaurus, Manda, Varan, Kumonga, and Rodana and the hatchlings. So far mostly everyone was complaining. Varan groaned about leaving his lake home. Manda lamented that he was on the trail of a large school of whales before Rodan had interrupted him. Gorosaurus wished they could hurry up and take care of business so he could go after Kong.

Godzilla roared to quiet them down. Through grunts and growls he communicated to the other kaiju that these new creatures posed a threat that they had never known before. They were giant, and yet had the form of men. Like men, they used tools and weapons. Worst of all they multiplied quickly.

Varan questioned Godzilla. _How do we know this isn't just another one of your quests to defend the weakling humans? We don't share yours and Mothra's pity for them._

 _And, does the mighty Godzilla really need our help?_ Manda hissed and glided around a boulder raising his head high enough in the air to match Godzilla's. _Surely you can handle them on your own._

Godzilla grew angry. This was what Mothra must have felt like years ago when she made a similar argument to he and Rodan at Mt. Fuji. _And besides, how do we even know these creatures exist. I have never seen them, have you Varan? Gorosaurus?_ Manda asked, crafty serpent.

Rodan and Anguirus roared at them to bite their tongues and Godzilla was about to give in to his animal instincts and blast them all with his ray when Kumonga chirped in angrily: _I have seen these monsters and Godzilla is right, they are dangerous and must be dealt with before they destroy us all!_ All of the monsters fell silent. Amongst the imprisoned monsters on Ogasawara, none hated Godzilla more than Kumonga. As Godzilla's old enemy, it was unlike him to ever agree with the King of the Monsters. It made the others stop and think that if one's arch enemy would band together with his nemesis, then surely the threat must be great.

Godzilla took the moment of calm to step back to the forefront. _That's right_ , he _growled, and nor are we fighting for the sake of the humans, but for our own sakes so these creatures do not cause our extinction along with the humans._

 _How can we fight creatures with such great numbers as you say?_ Manda growled. _It might be wiser if we all went into hiding._

 _Is the mighty Manda afraid?_ Godzilla countered and glared at him. Then to the others _, Remember how we all worked together to battle King Ghidorah? In working together we triumphed, and we can do so again against this new threat. Are you all with me, or would you prefer to scurry and hide?_

The monsters roared. They weren't afraid. Gorosaurus roared, _Well, then where are these creatures? To destroy them we must find them._

 _Rodan had last seen them in a snowy mountain land to the west. While they keep tabs on them we will swim south together so as not to scuffle with the humans on land, and then come ashore in the land of the elephants_ (this is what the monsters called India) _and head for the mountains where we will vanquish these terrible beasts._

The monsters all signaled their agreement in a roar. Rodan instructed Rodana and all of his young but one, Loki, to serve as lookouts for the monsters as they swam. He and Loki would go and keep tabs on the Gargantuas. Before he could take off Godzilla stopped him and put a hand on his wing. Rodan turned to him. _Be careful,_ Godzilla grunted _, these creatures are crafty like men. They are not like other monsters we have faced._

Rodan squawked at him. _You're acting like Mothra more and more every time I see you._ He took off for the skies and Godzilla wrestled with whether or not he should look at his friend's remark as an insult or not.

 **Chapter Seven: In the Land of the Plague**

The base commander on Hachijo Island did keep the news of what had happened on Monsterland from the press. However, he could not mask the fact that communication with Monsterland had been lost. The United Nations demanded an explanation. The base commander had no choice but to file a report to his superiors in Tokyo, and the Japanese government was obliged to forward the report to the United Nations Security Council. Someone at the UN leaked the news to the press.

The headlines screamed "Cover up!" The media found it particularly suspicious that the Kilaak Controller, the device that was used to keep the monsters under control, left Monsterland in the same helicopter with Goro Ibuki. So the media put forward the question: Did Ibuki steal the Kilaak Controller?

Goro watched the report from NHK News on the TV set in his quarters on Heard Island. The news anchor, Tomoko Mahiko, gave the gory details:

"The United Nations Security Council decided to air on the side of caution and declare Professor Goro Ibuki, creator of the kaiju robot Jet Jaguar, a rogue agent. The president of the Council, Maria Canessa of Uruguay, gave her statement earlier this morning. She said, quote, 'Mr. Ibuki is one of two scientists who has created a monster robot. We know what kind of man Dr. Who, the creator of Mechanikong, is and why he built his terrible machine. But we are as yet unclear on the reason why Mr. Ibuki created Jet Jaguar. We must assume the worst and hope for the best. The Security Council has decreed that Goro Ibuki has gone rogue from civilized society. He stands charged with theft of the Kilaak Controller, the device we sorely need to keep the Pacific Rim nations safe from kaiju attacks. He is also charged with conspiracy. The Gargantua raid on Monsterland did make it possible for the Kilaak controller to be removed from the island. Therefore, he may be responsible for the raid, perhaps through the aid of his robot, which can communicate with kaiju. The Council recognizes that the evidence is circumstantial and is ready to drop all charges once Goro Ibuki returns to civilized society and gives a full account of his actions.'

"The Japanese government has found itself in an embarrassed situation," Mahiko continued, "for not reporting to the UN sooner about the disaster that had occurred on Monsterland. The defensive screens on the island are down. The monsters are at large. Their whereabouts are unknown. In an effort to make amends, the government is conducting an investigation into Goro Ibuki's past. His financial holdings and personal possessions have been seized. His home is being searched. Those who are acquainted with Mr. Ibuki are being questioned. Family members have been notified that they are to report to the authorities if Mr. Ibuki makes contact with them. It is hoped that the investigation will exonerate Goro Ibuki in the eyes of the world."

Goro switched off the news. He felt helpless and violated. He worried about the unfinished projects he had left in his home. The tools, notes, instruments, everything was going to be thrown into boxes and shipped off to some warehouse. Things were going to get damaged, jumbled together, and possibly lost. His soul was invested in his projects.

He wandered out of his quarters, down the cement corridors, past several workers carrying boxes, to Dr. Who's sitting room. Miss Honeyblossom glanced up at him from her Wall Street Journal. Dr. Who was reviewing his notes. He did not seem to notice Goro entering the room. They knew what happened. Goro could tell because their TV was set to the same channel. For reasons of their own they were not saying, "We told you so." In fact the silence was saying it louder than words.

Goro sat down. He envied them. They had carved out their own world. They were content in it. Safe in it. His world had become a nightmare.

"Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes," the doctor declared without looking away from his notes.

"I am not hungry," Goro muttered.

Honeyblossom lowered her paper. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Goro shook his head.

Honeyblossom resumed reading The Wall Street Journal.

"I suppose you have seen the news," Goro said.

Neither Dr. Who nor Honeyblossom spoke.

Goro sensed that they were waiting for him to make a choice. To join them or to continue to oppose them. The frightening fact of the matter was, he was at that crossroads. They knew it. It was up to him to accept it.

"Ever since you kidnapped me my situation gets worse and worse," Goro said.

His two hosts remained silent a while longer and when Goro thought they were going to ignore him indefinitely, the doctor said, "At what point are you going to hold the world responsible for its actions?"

Goro reacted with surprise.

Dr. Who repeated his question. "At what point are you going to hold the world responsible for its actions?

"Sure, you can say none of this would have had happened if we hadn't brought you to Heard Island," Honeyblossom added. "But did the United Nations have to assume the worst? They could have assumed you were in danger. They could be worried about you instead of being afraid."

The young inventor became thoughtful.

Dr. Who and Honeyblossom went back to their reading, giving him time to think.

"You're right," Goro said at last. "I have done nothing to them. My robot helped saved the world. They have every reason to assume the best, not the worst. The United Nations Security Council wants me to give a full account of my actions. They will probably put me before a hearing. I know how these hearings go. No matter what I say, the Security Council will not be satisfied. All they want to hear is a confession of guilt."

"You won't be subjected to a hearing," Honeyblossom said. "The Security Council president pressed criminal charges against you. That means you will have to give account of your actions in court."

"When that happens," Dr. Who said, "you must remember the prosecutor's job is not to discover the truth. His job is to put you in prison by any means necessary, including lying and misleading the jury. You will need a lawyer."

"But I don't have any money!" Goro spread his hands. "The government confiscated it!"

"Yes," Dr. Who smiled. "They did, didn't they? How resourceful of them. You will have to rely on a public defender."

"And there is a reason why public defenders are called public pretenders," Honeyblossom said.

Goro's complexion turned pale from fear.

"You do not have to sit there being afraid," Dr. Who looked at him sternly. "You still have a choice."

Goro nodded. He did have a choice. In the end, whose life was it anyway? Did the society own him? Or did he own himself? It was time to take ownership of his life and do what he wanted to do. Not what society expected him to do.

"You said you wanted to help me fulfill my destiny. Is it still open?" Goro asked.

"It will always be open," Dr. Who said.

"Then I will work with you," Goro said. "One way or another the world will incarcerate me. So it will not matter what I do."

Dr. Who was delighted. He set his notes down on the glass-topped coffee table and stood up to shake Goro's hand.

Goro stood and shook it.

"Hungry now?" Dr. Who asked.

A tremendous weight fell from Goro's shoulders. He was now part of their world—safe and content. "Actually, yes. I am."

"Good! Good!" Dr. Who patted his back. "Have you ever heard of the world class Italian chef Lugio Corilono?"

"I take it you've met him," Goro said.

"Met him? He is on my staff. He has prepared for us the most incredible spaghetti dinner. It will amaze your palate, I assure you."

Goro headed out to the dining room with his two new friends.

As expected, Kyoko and Jet Jaguar were more than enthusiastic to go on the hunt for Goro. They were less enthused when they saw Shindo's chosen mode of transportation: a twin-engined Avro Anson. The governments of India, China, and Bhutan had grounded all flights to their countries, Shindo had to find someone on the fringes of society to pilot them in, or in other words a mercenary.

Faora greeted the trio. She was a blonde-haired young woman, lean, and dressed in khakis and a British army surplus shirt. The army shirt hung unbuttoned over the khaki tank top that she wore underneath. Not long ago she was a member of Satin's infamous mercenary gang. Satin had been arrested and the gang disbanded. Faora was now a freelance smuggler. She looked the robot over from head to toe. "So you are the world famous Jet Jaguar?"

Jet Jaguar gave her thumbs up.

Faora put her hands on her hips and got down to business. "The mountains bordering Selgina are infested with Gargantuas. The safest—note safest," she held up her finger, "not safe—route is to fly to India and approach Selgina from the south. Coming from the north is out of the question. The whole Chinese and Selginan border is a warzone."

"The Indian route will be fine," Shindo said. "I will make an arrangement to deposit your pay in an account of your choice."

"Now you're talking," Faora smiled.

They finalized the deal and took off from Hachijo Island. The Avro Anson was a 50s vintage aircraft. It was loud, rickety, and slow. Faora was pushing it as fast as it could go at 180mph. The ocean leisurely rolled by down below. They made a fuel stop at an obscure airstrip in Kyushu where Kyoko picked up a copy of a local newspaper then headed southwest toward the Asian mainland.

Shindo sat in the co-pilot's seat. He chatted with Faora to kill time while Kyoko read the paper. She found out that the United Nations Security Council had charged Goro with theft of the Kilaak controller and conspiracy. Angry, she smacked the paper against the back of Shindo's seat.

"I can't believe this!"

Shindo glanced over his shoulder, curious on what the fuss was about.

"Here!" Kyoko thrust the paper forward so he could reach it. "Read the front page."

Shindo read the charges in the front page article. Unruffled by the news, he returned the paper. "A case always gets worse before it gets better."

"Are you talking about the guy who built the robot?" Faora jerked her thumb over her shoulder toward Jet Jaguar, who was sitting in the seat behind her.

"Yes," Shindo acknowledge. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Only what I read in the papers." Faora smiled.

"Uh-huh," Shindo goaded.

"Honest!"

"It doesn't matter," Shindo turned from Faora and looked out the window to enjoy the view. "Your airfare cooked our budget. We don't have the money to buy information."

"Wait!" Kyoko leaned forward inserting herself between Faora and Shindo's seats. "Are you saying she knows what happened to Goro?" Shindo did not reply, so she spoke to Faora. "Listen, it is vital you tell us everything you know. Was Goro kidnapped? Was he killed? He didn't go rogue, did he?"

"I can't tell you," Faora said, focused on her flying.

"You can't or you won't?"

Faora did not clarify, so Kyoko became more persistent.

"Can't you forget about making money for one minute? The fate of world is at stake!"

"You don't want to owe me a favor, do you?" Faora looked over her shoulder to smile at Kyoko. "To me, a criminal?"

Kyoko got the message. Who knows what kind of favor a criminal would ask? She sat back in her seat and folded her arms, disgusted.

"We would be better off buying the information," Shindo told Kyoko. "That way we get what we want with no strings attached."

"Everything we need to know is sitting right here," Kyoko threw her hands at Faora, "and you are going to do nothing about it."

"We're getting what we paid for. She is taking us to Selgina," Shindo said in Faora's defense. "We can't complain."

Faora smiled at him. Shindo smiled back.

"If I may," Faora said, "I can offer a bit of commentary."

Shindo raised his brow in interest.

Kyoko reinserted herself between his and Faora's seats.

"People had better lay off of Goro," Faora said, "because if they don't, they are going to turn him into the monster they say he is."

Alarms sounded throughout Dr. Who's base on Heard Island. Guards clad in black uniforms donned yellow helmets and grabbed their guns as they rushed to their battle stations. Dr. Who and Miss Honeyblossom strode to the elevator leading up to the control center. Goro trailed after them.

"Wait up! What's going on? Are we under attack?"

"Relax," Dr. Who replied sharply.

The elevator opened. They got inside and ascended up to the control center. The control center was atop a tower and had a three-hundred-sixty degree view of the base. Several technicians sat at their stations. They also wore black uniforms with white gloves. They appeared to be as worried as Goro, which did not help his nerves.

Miss Honeyblossom stood at her station with her fingers at the controls.

Dr. Who walked up to the window, facing the shore.

"Uh-huh," the rogue scientist said in a matter-of-fact tone. "He found us."

"Who?" Goro joined him at the window.

"Baragon."

Baragon shook the icy water off his scaly hide and lumbered up the shore. The rolls of fat and muscle held in his body heat. The bone-cracking cold felt brisk to him, nothing more. He strode along the perimeter, looking for something in particular. Goro had no idea what but judging by the attitude of his two hosts, they knew what the kaiju wanted.

Dr. Who issued orders to his subordinates via a microphone. "All units hold fire." To Honeyblossom he said, "Raise the platform."

Honeyblossom flipped three switches.

Outside, both the roof and the floor of a massive warehouse slid aside, revealing a deep shaft. The whole base rumbled from an underground motor. Baragon halted in his tracks, fully alert. Down in the shaft, a platform came up to the surface. On the platform stood Mechanikong with a fresh batch of grenades clipped to its waist. These were constructed with a fire-resistant alloy.

"Your robot!" Goro exclaimed. "I thought it was destroyed."

"Robots can be put back together," Dr. Who said. "I have Miss Honeyblossom to thank for having the wreckage shipped to me instead of a United Nations disposal site." The doctor chuckled. "I can only imagine how furious that had made the UN Security Council." He then spoke into his mic, "Mechanikong, there is a trespasser on the premises. Drive him back into the sea!"

Mechanikong threw up its powerful arms and let out a robotic screech.

Baragon bristled at having to face the robot monster yet again. Nevertheless, he met the challenge with a roar of his own. His nose horn glowed as he drew in his breath and spewed fire from his mouth.

Mechanikong marched forward and then stopped, thrusting his chest forward. The blast of fire splashed against his armored torso. The metal glowed but quickly cooled in the cold. The giant robot let out another shriek and continued its march.

Baragon's floppy ears shot up in surprise. He had thrown all his energy into that blast. If fire did not have an effect, then his metallic opponent would have to be beaten by tooth and claw. Baragon leapt at Mechanikong. The prehistoric beast came hurtling over the wall, over the buildings, and crashing into the robot. Mechanikong had braced for the impact and caught the beast. Letting out another shriek, Mechanikong strained its servomotors to the limit as it threw Baragon out of the base. Baragon crashed out in the field of black volcanic ash and white snow. He rolled back onto his feet and roared in frustration.

Mechanikong came forward. The ground thundered under the weight of its footsteps.

Baragon bolted away from the base, but he did not go out to sea. Instead he disappeared over the rise. Mechanikong followed him over to the other slide of the slope where it found the monster borrowing down into the ground. All the machine creature could see was Baragon's tail twirling about as he dug deeper and deeper into the ground. Soon Baragon was out of sight. Mechanikong stomped up to the hole and dropped a grenade inside. It exploded down at the bottom. Smoke billowed up. Enraged, Baragon bellowed. Mechanikong unclipped a second grenade and let it drop. Another explosion went off. More smoke poured out of the hole. This time Baragon did not bellow. Instead the ground shook. Baragon burrowed up to the surface, right underneath Mechanikong, then branched off just below the surface. There was not enough ground to support the robot's weight. It dropped into the new hole and became wedged at the bottom. Baragon dug his way back up to the surface and bound over to the hole containing Mechanikong. He roared in triumph then blew fire down the hole.

Back at the control center, a technician warned Dr. Who the robot's temperature was reaching critical. "That hole is becoming like an oven," he cried.

"Not to worry," Dr. Who said. "My robot will know what to do."

Mechanikong punched through the wall of the hole it was in to the other hole Baragon had dug. It now had enough room to pull a grenade from its clip, ignite the grenade's rocket booster, and let it fly up to Baragon. The grenade exploded in Baragon's face. The fire-breathing monster yelped. Mechanikong launched a second grenade followed by a third and fourth. Baragon bounded away from the hole and crouched down, like a dog getting ready to pounce. Mechanikong fired both hands up to the edge. The chains connecting the hands to the limbs unspooled and went taught once the hands had a firm grip. Mechanikong then pulled itself out of the hole. It shrieked at Baragon and stomped toward him. The steam billowing off of its super-heated armor made it look like a wraith. Baragon leapt. The robot punched the beast, knocking him out of the air. Baragon crashed onto the ground and rolled down the slope, toward the shore. His spirit shaken, Baragon staid where he was and roared at the robot one more time in an attempt to intimidate it. But it was machine. Machines felt no fear. Mechanikong pulled back to throw another grenade.

Having had enough of the grenades, Baragon retreated back into the sea and swam away.

Dr. Who cancelled the alert and ordered everyone back to their regular duties after Mechanikong had been stowed back in his hangar underground.

"I don't understand," Goro said. "What could you have that Baragon wants?"

Dr. Who smiled. "Come with me. I will show you."

He led Goro down into an underground laboratory. The walls were thick enough to double as a bomb shelter. The Kilaak controller lay on one table along with Goro's medallion. Goro's first reflex was to snatch it back, but he stopped himself. He and Dr. Who were on the same side. There was no need to take it back.

The doctor went to a control panel. Above the panel was a frost-covered window overlooking another chamber. Dr. Who switched on the lights so Goro could see what was in there. Inside was Frankenstein's monster.

Goro gasped.

The giant humanoid laid upon a massive slab of metal. Frost covered its whole body. It appeared to be dead, but Goro knew better. The monster could never die. It was only dormant.

"I found him buried in the ice on the Antarctica continent," Dr. Who explained. "Frankenstein's monster prefers the cold. After he defeated Baragon he journeyed to the coldest place on Earth, away from humankind. He must have lost his footing during a spring thaw and slipped into a crack between glaciers. The glaciers then covered him and when the cold returned, it sealed him in a tomb of ice."

"And Baragon tracked Frankenstein's monster to this island," Goro said.

"The prehistoric beast is itching for a rematch," Dr. Who added. "He can have his rematch as soon as I am through with Frankenstein's creation."

"What do you want with the monster?"

"Dr. Frankenstein stitched his monster together using the parts of dead bodies and then brought them to life. Since then this patchwork of corpses has been impervious to death. The secret of eternal life is in that chamber." Dr. Who pointed to the frost covered window. "I am an old man. I am sure you can understand how important it is for me to discover that secret."

Goro marveled at how prehistoric Frankenstein's monster looked. It had the beetle brow of a Neanderthal and the animal skin rags of a caveman. The monster would look at home out on the Ice Age tundra with the wholly mammoth and wholly rhinos. "Is this work you want me to help you with?" he asked.

"No. I have a different job for you." Dr. Who walked over to the table and plopped his hand atop the Kilaak Controller. "I want you to create a device that will allow human beings to talk to kaiju. We know the kaiju are able to speak to one another. They have a language. The Kilaaks were only interested in controlling the monsters. So this controller is limited in its use. Its primary purpose is to give orders, not hold a conversation. Your robot is able to talk to kaiju, so you must know something about the kaiju language in order for you to program your robot."

"I know nothing of the kaiju language," Goro confessed. "Believe it or not, Jet Jaguar is self-taught."

"Hm," Dr. Who intoned. He did not seem sure if he could accept Goro's word. "What I want you to do is to create a device that is no larger than your medallion that will allow people to speak with the kaiju. If you are a success, the world may no longer need tanks and bombers to drive monsters out of their cities. They could simply ask the monsters to leave. Nations would pay almost any price for such a device."

"I will need my blue prints to Jet Jaguar," Goro said. "The problem is, the government confiscated all of my papers. Would you be opposed to allowing me to summon my robot here?"

The doctor looked at the medallion, the whistle that would summon the powerful robot, then at Goro. "When it is necessary, you may summon Jet Jaguar."

"Then one more thing," Goro said. "Some scientists say the original Gargantuas grew from tissue samples from Frankenstein's monster. Did you use tissue samples to create the Gargantua plague? If so, I do not want any part of that project. My conscience will not allow it."

Dr. Who smirked. "That is just a hypothesis. No one knows for sure where the Gargantuas came from. All we know for a fact is that more Gargantuas can be created from Garagantua tissue samples. Since you are asking me, I say no. There is no relationship between the two types of monsters. The Gargantuas can be destroyed. Frankenstein's monster is indestructible. If the Gargantuas are an offshoot of Frankenstein's monster, then they should have the same characteristics. As we can see, they don't."

"So how did the plague get started?" Goro asked.

"A good question." Dr. Who chuckled.

"But you are not going to tell me," Goro said.

"It doesn't make any difference anyway. Once you perfect your device, the Gargantua plague will be rendered impotent."

"So you think they can be reasoned with?"

"Get to work, my friend," Dr. Who put his hand on Goro's shoulder, "and we will find out."

###

Faora flew Shindo and Kyoko over Burma, Bangladesh and then into India, toward the Himalayan Mountains. They were heading toward a smuggler's airstrip near the Indian\Selginan border. It was buried in the sweaty rainforests of the Himalayan foothills. A prosperous community of smugglers sprung up around the strip. It had its own school, several locally owned hotels, and a bank where the smugglers could launder their earnings and avoid taxes. Most important of all it had running water and electricity, unlike all the other smuggler outposts they had stopped at to refuel. Kyoko, who was looking worse for wear, was delighted with the good news.

"Does this running water include hot water?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes," Faora assured her. "You can finally take a shower."

"Phew!" Kyoko exhaled in relief.

"Wait a minute," Shindo said. He was looking out the window. "Something is not right."

Faora turned from Kyoko to see what Shindo was looking at.

The trees that shielded the town from observation were gone. The buildings did not look right, as Shindo had said. When they drew near they found out why. They had been smashed into rubble. As for the missing trees, they found those, too. They had been used to build a fence and crude shacks. The shacks were basically four posts driven into the ground with branches spread across the top to form a roof. Huddled inside these shacks were human beings.

"Looks like the authorities raided the community," Kyoko said.

"This was no raid," Faora said.

"Then what happened?" Kyoko asked.

"I noticed that the Gargantuas were getting sophisticated with their tool making skills," Shindo said, horrified, "but I never imagined they have gotten this far this fast."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko said, getting impatient for an answer.

"Kyoko," Shindo said, looking at her eye to eye, "think of a cattle farm in Hokkaido and then look back down there on the ground and tell me what you see."

Kyoko recalled what a cattle farm looked like and looked back down on the ground. "Oh, my God! It's corral. The town's people have been corralled into a pen!"

"We humans have become part of the food chain," Shindo said. "The Gargantuas are on their way to become the dominant life form on the planet."

"I am going to take us in for a closer look." Faora lowered their altitude and flew over the corral. People rushed out from under the shade of the shacks and waved their arms to get their attention.

Gargantua warriors also came out into the open. They were hidden under the canopy of the towering rainforest. Several roared at the humans who came too close to the fence. The others threw spears at the Avro Anson. Faora gunned the engine and increased altitude as fast as she could. The increased thrust made the plane rattle. Spears zipped past the cockpit windows. Kyoko covered her face. She could not look. One spear struck the aircraft, but it hit with so much force it pierced through the fuselage leaving two gaping holes, one in the floor, the other in the ceiling. The plane bucked from the impact. Faora battled the controls to keep it steady.

Shindo kept an eye on their progress. "OK, we are out of range. Now circle over the town," he said to Faora. "Kyoko, get ready. We're leaving."

"What? Are you suggesting we parachute into a forest infested with Gargantuas?"

"No chutes. Jet Jaguar is going to give us a lift. Right, Jet?"

The robot nodded with enthusiasm.

"You should call this operation off," Faora suggested to Shindo. "The Gargantuas weren't supposed to be out this far from the border. You're looking at a hundred kilometers of Gargantua country if you get off here."

"Isn't there another airstrip we can use?" Kyoko asked.

Faora shook her head. "The closest landing spots are civil airports. The Selginan Assassins Guild will have those under observation. Do you want to risk it?"

"Yes!" Kyoko cried.

"I see a few undamaged vehicles down there in the town," Shindo said, ignoring Kyoko. "We can make this work. Jet, Kyoko, get unbuckled. Let's get going."

Kyoko groaned.

Faora grabbed Shindo's arm as he got out of his seat. "Good luck."

Shindo squeezed her hand. "You, too. Sorry about the holes in the plane."

"Don't worry," Faora smiled. "I'm insured."

Shindo, Kyoko and Jet Jaguar gathered at the rear door. The robot put its arms around the two humans. Shindo opened the door and Jet Jaguar flew them from the plane down to the ruined smuggler's town. The Gargantua warriors came storming out of the forest. Shindo pointed to the 50 caliber machine gun atop a vintage Vietnam War personnel carrier.

"Man the gun, Jet. Hold those Gargantuas back while I see about a ride."

Jet Jaguar climbed into the gun pit and opened fire. The Gargantuas shrieked with rage and threw their spears at the armored personnel carrier. Their weapons bounced off the armor.

Kyoko ducked into the ruins of a smashed garage while Shindo checked the condition of the vehicles. By sheer luck he found a set of keys that had been dropped. He hopped into a land rover, a jeep, a Dodge army truck and couple more land rovers, checking for a perfect fit for the ignition key. At last he found an army jeep that revved up nice and sweet.

"Come on!"

Kyoko hopped into the front seat. Jet Jaguar flew from the carrier and dropped into the back seat. As soon as they were settled down in the jeep, Shindo punched the accelerator, leaving a streak of steaming rubber behind them.

The Gargantuas grabbed their spears and pursued the fleeing jeep.

"Wait!" Kyoko shouted to Shindo. "Why isn't Jet Jaguar fighting the monsters?"

Shindo turned to the robot. "Jet Jaguar, can't you do something?"

Jet Jaguar shook his head as if to say, "No."

"But why not?" Kyoko asked.

Shindo watched as Jet Jaguar made some strange hand signals.

"Watch the road!" Kyoko yelled.

Shindo swerved to avoid a dead cow that would have surely derailed them had they hit it.

"Our lives are on the line and you're playing charades with a robot!" She chastised him.

"No, I think he's trying to say…"

Jet Jaguar lifted his hands up again as if describing the growth of a plant.

"He's saying he can't grow to giant size right now. Still haven't fully recharged yet?"

Jet Jaguar raised a thumb to signal yes.

"Are you kidding me?" Kyoko snapped.

"Well," Shindo shrugged, "they say it happens to one in six men at some point in their lives. Performance issues—

"Just shut up and drive!"

Shindo took the jeep off road and through the dirt trails. The jeep bounced over tree roots and splashed through puddles and streams. Spears darted past them. One even soared between Shindo and Kyoko's head. The Gargantuas squealed in rage. Kyoko peeked over her shoulder and grinned.

"They're falling behind! They're having trouble squeezing between the trees."

The engine growled as the jeep's tires clawed at the rough slopes. They were going higher and higher into the foot hills of the Himalayas. Then the woods broke and they were cruising across clear terrain. The jeep was able to reach full speed. So could the Gargantuas. They burst from the trees. The beasts caught their breath, shrieked in rage, and continued the pursuit.

"Look!" Kyoko point to a sign marking the border. "We're almost to Selgina."

Another fusillade of spears hurled at them, piercing the dirt up ahead. Shindo swerved to miss them and sped past the sign, and crossed into Selginan territory.

As soon as the Gargantuas got within ten yards of the Selginan border they immediately stopped in their tracks, skidding to a halt and screaming at their escaped prey as Shindo raced across the finish line.

Shindo drifted the jeep to a stop. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well I don't know about you, but I do enjoy a nice drive in the country," Shindo quipped. Jet Jaguar responded with an electric syllable and Kyoko slapped him across the back of the head. However, their troubles were just beginning. A regiment of border patrol guards was running their way with rifles in hand.

"What do we do?" Kyoko asked.

"Don't worry, as odd as this may sound, right now we do nothing. Jet Jaguar, can you pretend to be offline when they take us into custody?"

The android nodded, then stiffened his posture as the lights behind his eyes slowly faded away. Several moments later the regiment surrounded the jeep and took the strange trio into custody.

As Shindo had suspected, due to the nature of their android companion, the trio wouldn't be taken to just any facility, but a special consulate to be questioned by one of the higher-ups.

The motionless Jet Jaguar was carried on a stretcher with them down the hallway as he and Kyoko, hands cuffed behind their backs, marched down the hallway. "Just what exactly is your plan for all of this, Shindo?"

"Don't worry. This is turning out better than I had planned."

"You could've fooled me," she shot back.

"Quiet!" a guard snapped. "Once you are in the presence of Chairman Salno you will speak only when spoken to."

Salno…of all people. Princess Selina's uncle! Shindo nodded his understanding and they were shown into a luxurious office more akin to a Sultan's palace than a government office.

The guard saluted. "Excellency, here are the trespassers as requested."

The large chair behind the desk at the center of the room swiveled around to reveal a heavyset man with a mustache and a receded hairline. He wore a blue tunic with gold etchings and a white ruff around his neck. His black heart shined through his eyes as he regarded them in amusement. He had a pair of manilla folders opened before him. One held a dossier on Kyoko and the other on Shindo. Chairman Salno compared the photos in the dossiers to the flesh and blood people standing before him. He sniffed derisively and flipped the folders closed, stacked them atop each other and put them in the "OUT" basket.

"Kyoko Manabe, graduate of Tokyo University. Zoology major. Now director of Monsterland. Shindo Yamaguchi, also a Tokyo University graduate. Criminology major. Began as an interrogator with the Japanese Secret Service. From there your past becomes sketchy, but we know this much. You are Japan's premier spy."

"And you are Ragnok Salno, uncle of Princess Selina Salno. And her murderer." Shindo tapped a glass box on the desk. The box contained the royal bracelet. Princess Selina wore it at all times as a symbol of her rank. "Keeping her bracelet in a trophy case is a tasteless thing to do, even for you."

Chairman Salno shook his head, jiggling his jowls. "I had nothing to do with her passing."

"Then who did? I'm sure you know them very well."

Selina's uncle burst out laughing. It was like a bulldog's bark. "I can tell you the truth a thousand times over and you will never believe me."

"For an innocent man you do not seem broken up over her loss."

"Selina and I did not get along. That is well known."

"She was your niece."

Chairman Salno cleared his throat to change the subject and folded his hands on his desk. "Mr. Yamaguchi, Ms. Manabe, you were caught in my country with no passport or identification. You have broken the law. You are also here unofficially, which means you can disappear and we can deny any knowledge of your whereabouts. So, now that you know where you stand, are you prepared to give us your cooperation?"

Shindo and Kyoko exchanged glances.

Kyoko nodded.

Salno grinned, enjoying holding the upper hand. "Good! First I want answers. What are you doing with Goro Ibuki's robot Jet Jaguar?"

"We're trying to return it to him," Shindo replied. "You wouldn't happen to know where Goro is, do you?"

"Goro is Japan's problem," Salno said. "And you did not answer my question to my satisfaction." He nodded to his guards.

They grabbed Shindo and forced him down into a chair. One stood before him holding a Billy club.

"I am giving you one more chance because I don't want blood on my carpet." Salno's eyes burned like coals. "Why did you bring this robot into our country?"

Shindo regarded the guard with the club then spoke to Salno. "I was not being flippant. We are looking for Goro Ibuki. His robot is a useful asset. He is worth ten men."

Salno nodded in satisfaction. "I assume you're not visiting Selgina on a sightseeing tour?" He leveled his gaze at Shindo.

"No, sir. We're here to retrieve the Kilaak controller." Shindo answered.

Salno raised a brow. "What on Earth makes you think we have it? As you know Selgina is a poor nation, we have no way of stealing such a device."

"Then how do you explain the fact that the Gargantuas won't set foot across your borders and are attacking the very lands you not so long ago claimed were yours?" Kyoko asked.

The man laughed and stood from his desk. "And you think we are to blame. No, my dear, if you ask me, perhaps it's just karma." He began to walk over to the lifeless Jet Jaguar. "I'm afraid you wasted a trip if that's what you were after. I am intrigued by your robot companion. Too bad he's offline."

Shindo decided now was as good as any. "Oh he's not offline. Jet Jaguar, get up and show this man what you can do."

Immediately the robot whirred to life, stood from his gurney and then swiftly incapacitated the guards in the room.

"You can't do that! That's against international law!" Salno proclaimed.

"Good job, Jet Jaguar. Now lock the door," Shindo said as he crouched down by one of the unconscious guards and snatched his keys after which he began to open his cuffs with his hands still behind his back, something he had done many times before. After that he un-cuffed Kyoko and turned his attention to Salno, who had just picked up his phone and was shouting into the receiver, "Help! I need immediate assistance—"

Shindo slammed it down and pushed him back into his chair.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? Any idea of what kind of an international incident you're creating?" Salno said.

Shindo looked disgusted. "You call this the international incident when thousands are being slaughtered, no, eaten, across all of Asia?"

"I told you, we have nothing to do with that."

Shindo turned to his robot compatriot. "Jet Jaguar, show the Chairman what a firm handshake you have."

The automaton walked to a marble statue of a man in the corner of Salno's office, took its hand in his, and crumbled it into dust. Salno's face took on a horrified look.

"Now start telling me the truth, or I'll see to it that you get a formal introduction to our friend here." Shindo said.

"Starting with how did Selgina create the Gargantuas?" Kyoko asked.

"They were engineered," Salno said still frightened at the prospect of the smiling Jet Jaguar who now leered over him with Shindo.

"Who engineered the Gargantuas for Selgina?" Shindo asked.

"Yes." Salno nodded his head in a frightened manner.

"Yes, what?" Shindo shouted and grabbed him by the frilly ruff.

"Who engineered the Gargantuas!" he answered even more fearfully.

Kyoko touched Shindo's arm. "Shindo, I think he means Dr. Who."

"Yes that's what I'm trying to tell you! Now unhand me!"

"Dr. Who?" Shindo unhanded the man and stood back while Salno straightened his collar.

"What is Selgina's objective?" Shindo asked.

"In exactly twelve hours, President Hopto will issue an ultimatum to our neighboring countries to cede the requested tracks of land to Selgina, and in return they will be protected from the Gargantuas."

Shindo was taken aback. It was a similar tactic used by the Yakuza, who sometimes forced certain businesses to pay for "protection" only now he was dealing with monsters rather than paid thugs and countries rather than mob bosses.

"The controller, where is it?"

"Dr. Who has it," Salno said.

"Where is Dr. Who's base of operations?"

The man hesitated and Shindo grabbed him by the collar again. "OK,"Salno blurted out, "Who's base is located at 32 degrees…"

As the man spoke Jet Jaguar struck Kyoko and then Shindo in the back of the head, knocking them out. When they came to they found themselves lying on cots in an empty room. The walls were made of cement and painted white. Jet Jaguar was nowhere to be seen.

Shindo rubbed the back of his head. He noticed that Kyoko's hair and clothes looked as though they had been through a wind tunnel. He checked his clothes and noticed that they were rumpled, too. Jet Jaguar must have flown them to a new location. She was rubbing her head also.

"You too?" Shindo asked.

"Yes. Where are we, do you—"

"I have no idea. And to think Chairman Salno was about to tell me the location of Dr. Who's…"

Shindo let his words trail off as he heard the door open and looked behind him to see who it was. Several armed guards in black uniforms marched into the room. "Base," Shindo muttered just as the men parted as Dr. Who walked in between them. "Welcome, my distinguished guests."


	3. Chapter 3

**Plague of the Gargantuas**

 **Part Three**

 **By Neil Riebe and John LeMay**

 **Chapter Eight: Patient Zero**

The Gargantua epidemic spread through the news as quickly as it spread throughout the world. Images from India were the most shocking. Delhi, once one the world's most overpopulated cities, was now a ghost town. The streets were empty and strewn with trash and debris. A half-eaten elephant lay spiked atop the Taj Mahal, blood dripping down onto the palace below. More shocking were aerial surveillance videos of the human corrals created by the Gargantuas. All attempts to rescue the trapped people resulted in smashed military vehicles and dead soldiers. Those who survived were added to the corrals, and at some point to the Gargantuas' feeding frenzy. In short, the plague made the Kilaak invasion of several years ago look like a thunderstorm compared to a typhoon.

Reports of the beasts soon popped up further into China, and then the Middle East. Under the cover of a sandstorm came running an army of new Gargantuas, golden in their hue just like Sanda had been, into Pakistan and Afghanistan. In anticipation Turkey and other nations began putting every piece of military equipment they had along their borders, anticipating the plague to reach their lands. As Gargantuas swam across the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia began a mass exodus towards South Africa. Planes took off from the airports just in the nick of time as the monsters arrived, though a few tragically didn't. One plane was even caught in midair by one of the beasts just as it was taking off. Those escaping by ship weren't so lucky, as the Gargantuas chased them down into the Arabian Sea and sank them. It would only be a matter of time before the beasts made it to Ethiopia and Egypt, and perhaps, Europe.

When the Gargantuas began to push into the Russian border the Russians actually dropped a nuke on them. That's when the world collectively took in its breath. In a world that had been beset by several different alien invasions, mad dictators, and various kaiju, for once it actually did look as though it could all come to an end.

xxx

Yamashita's phone rang, waking him from his late night sleep. It was Yomo Kuta.

"Yes, Yomo, what is it?"

"Chief, Shindo just activated his emergency beacon. You'll never guess where he is!"

"It's one o'clock in the morning, Yomo, I'm in no mood to guess," Yamashita said even though truth be told, he had been fretting about Shindo's whereabouts for some time.

"He's in Antarctica."

"Are you sure, what in the devil could he be doing there?"

"Who knows, Chief? How soon can we mount a rescue?"

"Sit tight. You'll stay at the UN. I know someone sailing in that neck of the woods that can get to him faster than we can."

xxx

After Dr. Who greeted Shindo and Kyoko, he invited them to dinner. Before they could refuse, the guards grabbed them, blindfolded them, and led them through the cold corridors to a room that smelt splendid with a well-prepared meal. The guards removed the blindfolds and took their positions around the room. Dr. Who motioned to the chairs then sat down at the head of the table. The room was cozy with a crackling fireplace and wood-paneled walls.

Shindo and Kyoko exchanged glances. They saw no other choice but to take a seat. Outside they could see nothing but white snowy wasteland as far as the eye could see. Fortunately it was overcast, had it been sunny they might have gone snow-blind.

"Well, Doctor, how do you feel now the Gargantuas have spread across the entire eastern hemisphere?" Kyoko asked her host.

"The beasts have served their purpose," Dr. Who replied taking a sip of his wine.

"And what about when Selgina gets what they want, what then?" Shindo chimed in.

"When they have no further use of the Gargantuas, they can destroy them. All it takes is the right computations on the controller and we walk them into a live volcano, simple."

"And what if the Selginans refuse?"

"Then I will destroy the beasts myself. I have no desire to see the world end any more than you, not when there is so much in it to enjoy. Just like this meal. Ms. Manabe, you've barely touched your steak, is something wrong?" Dr. Who asked his other guest.

"I don't share your sentiments, Doctor. I'm afraid I can't enjoy a meal while thousands are dying across the world," Kyoko said.

"Agent Yamaguchi apparently does not share your reservations, but then again he is from a different line of work."

It was true, this wasn't the first time Shindo had dined with one of his enemies, and it probably wouldn't be the last. He was halfway through his steak.

"What do you think of my home, Yamaguchi-san?" the doctor asked.

"I have to admit, this is a nice set-up you have here, Dr. Who. If you're looking for another evil lair, I hear Blofeld just put a hollowed-out volcano on the market." Shindo cocked an eyebrow and took another bite of his steak, which he had to admit was delicious. Then again most despots had a flare for fine food.

"Ha, the legendary Yamaguchi wit." Dr. Who dabbed his mouth with a napkin and returned to cutting his steak. "Our mutual friend Carl Nelson always said you were quite clever. I must admit, I was quite surprised when the robot turned up on my doorstep with you two unconscious in his arms."

"Yes, and just how did you orchestrate that, Doctor?" Kyoko said, unable to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Oh, I assure you, it was none of my doing. You'll have to ask Goro when he gets here. I have to say, he's awfully late for dinner."

"Late? You mean he's still locked in his cell?" Kyoko asked.

"Goro has no cell. Unlike at Monsterland, here he is free to come and go as he pleases." Dr. Who glanced at the door. "And here he is now."

Shindo and Kyoko stood as Goro, followed by his robot, stepped into the room and a look of shock spread across Goro's face. "Kyoko…and Yamaguchi san, what are you doing here?"

"Funny, it appears I should be asking you the same thing." Kyoko took note of the fact Goro was no longer wearing his usual chipper yet garishly colored sweater, and now wore a dark grey one with black slacks.

"Ibuki-san, tell me you didn't…" Shindo let his words trail off.

"Your robot brought them here with him when you called," Dr. Who said to Goro. "Now please, sit, your dinner is getting cold."

"Listen," Goro said, "I assure you, Kyoko, when I called the robot I had no idea…I mean he must have decided to bring you on his own. Where were you all anyway?"

Shindo shot Kyoko a look to let him do the talking. "We were looking for you, Ibuki-san. Only, we didn't quite expect to find you like this."

"Tell me, Goro, did you finish your project?" Dr. Who asked as Goro sat down across from Kyoko.

"With Jet Jaguar's help, yes."

"Splendid," Dr. Who said.

"I can't believe you're helping this madman," Kyoko said in disgust.

"You don't even know what it is that I've built. It could completely revolutionize human\kaiju relations."

"Ibuki-san, what have you created?" Shindo asked.

"I created a communicator that will allow humans to speak with kaiju."

Kyoko opened her mouth in shock. At first she was excited then her mood darkened when she realized that Dr. Who would be benefitting instead of mankind. "And what do you plan on doing with your communicator?"

"Offer it to the world," Goro said. "Think of it. Instead of sending soldiers to their death trying to drive the kaiju out of the country, we can ask the kaiju to leave, find out their intentions, make them understand the harm they are causing."

Kyoko shifted her gaze to Dr. Who. Dr. Who remained poker-faced, watching their conversation in bemusement.

"Your communicator can also be abused," Shindo said. "It will make it easier for countries to do what Selgina is doing now with the Gargantuas."

Goro threw his hands up in frustration. "That's always the problem, isn't it? You can't advance technology because someone will abuse it. Like it or not, Shindo, technology is going to continue to improve. I can throw my work away, but someone else is going to build the same thing."

"Goro is right," Kyoko said. "Someday someone is going to build a communicator. We just have to be sure we keep this technology in responsible hands. Goro, come with us. Bring your blue prints and notes. Leave nothing behind. We will take your device to Tokyo."

Goro shook his head. "No."

"No? You can't stay here with him." Kyoko jerked her thumb toward Dr. Who.

"The president of the United Nations Security Council charged me with two crimes. She said she wants me to 'give an account of my actions'. We know what that means. I'm going to stand trial in the world court."

"Our government will make certain that does not happen," Kyoko assured him.

Goro snorted in contempt. "Our government is cooperating with the UN. They confiscated my home, my work, and my assets. I'm not naïve. As soon as I step foot on Japanese soil, Tokyo will ship me into UN custody."

"That's because of this man!" Kyoko thrust an accusing finger at Dr. Who. Dr. Who refilled his glass with wine, ignoring her. "The world is scared. You can't blame them."

Goro held out his glass to Dr. Who. Dr. Who poured him some wine. "At what point are you going to hold the rest of the world responsible for their actions?"

"What?" Kyoko was taken aback.

Goro repeated the question. "At what point are you going to hold the world responsible for their actions?"

Kyoko sat there with her mouth open, at a loss for words.

"At some point," Goro explained, "you have to stop using Dr. Who as an excuse for everything you do. Am I right?" He turned the question to Shindo.

"You're right," Shindo said, holding his glass out to Dr. Who, who gave him a refill. Kyoko was shocked he would take Goro's side of the argument. "There is a difference between taking reasonable precaution and hysteria," Shindo continued. "The problem with people these days is that they think hysteria is a reasonable precaution. I would not recommend returning to Japan. The problem with Japan is that she is still trying to do penance for her involvement in World War 2. Cooperating with the UN is Japan's way of proving to the world that she is a peace-loving nation. What you need to do, Goro, is seek asylum in a country that has negotiating muscle. The United States is the place to go. I have friends in Washington. I can make the arrangements. All I need is your consent."

Goro became thoughtful. He actually had an alternative. He looked to Dr. Who as a son looking to his father for advice.

"Shindo's plan has merit," Dr. Who conceded. "But how much work are you going to get done while under asylum? How long will you need the Americans' protection? Odds are you will need it so long as I am alive, and I plan on being alive for a long, long time." He cocked his brow in a knowing-look.

Goro understood. If Dr. Who cracked the secret to eternal life, he, like Frankenstein's monster, will never die. Being in asylum would not be much different from being incarcerated. He shook his head again. "No, I can never trust the so-quote orderly society again."

Kyoko sighed in despair.

"All right," Shindo said. "Since Dr. Who saw merit in my point, I will admit that there is merit in his. However, karma always catches up with people. Do you still want to be here when Dr. Who's karma catches up with him?" He cocked his brow at Goro then took a sip of his wine.

Goro imagined what could happen. He became scared all over again.

"Think it over," Shindo said. He wiped the steak grease from his lips and tossed the napkin down on the table. "Thanks for the excellent meal, Doctor. With your permission, Kyoko and I would like to be escorted back to our cell."

"Certainly." Dr. Who motioned to his guards to take Kyoko and Shindo to their cell. As they stood up a shriek emanated through the building that nearly shattered the windows.

Kyoko dropped her fork, letting it clang across the table top. "What was that? It sounded…human."

Dr. Who smiled and put his napkin on the table. "I will show you. As the director of Monsterland, you might be impressed. Follow me."

Dr. Who outfitted his guests in parka jackets and led them into an elevator. The screams grew louder as they went down further. Finally they came to a set of heavy metallic doors. Once Dr. Who opened them they were led into a gigantic room. Immediately Kyoko shivered, the room was freezing. On a large table was laid out the shape of a giant yet grotesque human being, one clearly in a great deal of agony as he writhed in pain. Jet Jaguar monitored the creature's vital signs from behind a control panel. He acknowledge the group with a nod as they entered the chamber.

"I apologize for the cold, but he likes it that way, and I do try to keep him comfortable." Dr. Who said, perhaps aware of the humor in what he had just said, or perhaps not, it was hard to tell.

Kyoko was disgusted. "You monster."

"No, he's the monster." Who pointed to his giant specimen. "As a collector of kaiju I should think you would be envious of my discovery."

"I'm disgusted. He's almost human…how could you?"

"So this is patient zero," Shindo finally spoke. "What are you doing to this poor creature? Is this how you harvested the Gargantua cells?"

Dr. Who ignored Shindo's second question, but answered the first. "During World War 2, Germany shipped the heart of Frankenstein's monster to Japan. The heart was being studied in Hiroshima when the Americans dropped the atomic bomb. The radiation energized the heart. It grew a new body. This one." He spread his hands at the monster that was shackled to the table. "Imagine having a heart that will not only live forever but can grow a new body. Imagine the benefits to medical science."

"So once you discover his secret, do you plan on using this to bring back the thousands killed by the plague you also created?" Kyoko asked.

"The secret of eternal life can only be granted to the living," Dr. Who shook a scholarly finger at her. "It cannot be used to raise the dead. Now, if you want me to figure out how to raise the dead, bring me the journals of Dr. Frankenstein and I will get to work right away." He chuckled at her.

Kyoko turned away from Dr. Who.

The monster looked at Kyoko with a human intelligence, maybe even the slightest trace of attraction. But when Dr. Who spoke, the monster took on a look of absolute hatred. He knew it was Who that had caused him such pain and suffering. "Goro, share the results of your tests with Ms. Manabe and Mr. Yamaguchi."

Goro acknowledged Dr. Who with a nod and fetched his note book. "I tested my communicator with Frankenstein's monster. This is a rough translation of his screams." He read from his notes. "'Release me! The fire dragon must be destroyed. It is hungry. Ever hungry. It will eat you all.'"

"Fire dragon?" Kyoko frowned.

As they talked about the results of Goro's communicator, a rumbling sound came from under the cement floor. The room shook.

Kyoko gasped. "What is that?"

Before anyone could answer, Baragon's head burst through the floor. Bodies and chunks of concrete were strewn all over the laboratory. Baragon let rip an ear-shattering roar.

Frankenstein's monster shrieked back at the fire-breathing dinosaur.

Baragon scowled and was about to roar back when he noticed Dr. Who's guards getting up off the floor. His fierce glare turned to delight. He gobbled one man whole and roared again.

Shindo scrambled over to Kyoko. "Are you all right?"

Blood drained from a cut on her forehead. She touched her head and winced. "Well enough."

"This is our chance to get Goro out of here." Shindo turned and yelled across the laboratory. "Goro! Come on!"

Before Goro could respond, Baragon crawled out of his hole, blocking Shindo and Kyoko to Goro's side of the lab.

Frankenstein's monster pulled at his shackles, trying to get free. The guards opened fire at Baragon. The bullets bounced off his scaly hide. Baragon gobbled another guard and spat out the gun. Shindo dove across the floor to grab it. The stock had been bitten off, the gun was dripping in saliva, but it could still fire.

"Kill Yamaguchi!" Who shouted to his men. "I'll handle the monster. Goro, come with me."

Goro looked to Shindo and Kyoko, he didn't want to see them die, but everything was happening too fast. Yamaguchi was quick and pulled Kyoko down with him behind a control bank just as the guards opened fire. For a split second Goro thought about going to their aid, but then a portion of the wall came down sealing him off from them, and Jet Jaguar. Baragon had begun thrashing his way through the ground causing more damage to the base.

"Goro, come! Your robot will be fine!" Dr. Who called to him impatiently. Goro turned and followed his mentor.

Meanwhile as Baragon laid eyes upon the prey he had desired for so long he was surprised to feel sympathy for the creature. It had been tortured by those unnatural machines. In a sense, his enemy was a prisoner, just as he had been at Monsterland, only worse. Baragon shook his head. Godzilla must be rubbing off on him. No, Baragon wouldn't let his sympathies get the best of him. He would sate his revenge on this creature.

Through his haze, Frankenstein recognized the giant reptile he had battled so long ago in the flaming forest. In his drained state, he was incapable of defending himself, and halfway wished for the monster to finish him off.

Baragon sensed this emotion. It was wrong to kill one's enemy when they were trapped. Perhaps he would wait until the monster was free.

As Shindo took cover behind the control bank in between taking shots at the guards he was surprised when Jet Jaguar came sliding across the floor next to him. "Oh, so now we're friends again are we?" he said to the robot. Shindo sighed, "Oh alright, I get it, your creator called you and you had to come. But I'll tell you something, if you really want to protect Goro I'd get him away from Dr. Who. He's bad news."

"Shindo, the guards are getting closer," Kyoko tugged his jacket sleeve.

"I know, and I'm running out of bullets." He looked at Jet Jaguar. "Tell you what, go let that poor monster go and we'll call ourselves even. Besides, if you don't Baragon will eat him alive." It would also cause more chaos and allow Shindo and Kyoko the chance to get away, though Shindo didn't say that he was thinking it. Jet Jaguar let out a chirp and rose to the occasion. He hovered over to the controls that oversaw the monster's giant table and undid Frankenstein's wrist straps.

Though tired, once the straps snapped loose, like a Stone Age warrior, Frankenstein summoned his reserves, stood up and poised for battle and let out a shriek.

Baragon's ears sprung up at the sides of his head. So the giant humanoid wants to fight after all. The dinosaur's blood lust answered the call to battle. Baragon roared. Nature was going to have its way this day. Survival of the fittest. The weak must die so the strong may inherit the Earth.

The battle began.

 **Chapter Nine: The Plague Reaches Critical Mass**

As the Gargantua infestation of India and China grew worse, the UN intensified its demands on Selgina.

"Rogan, if your country can repel these monsters then I insist you share your device with the rest of the world," Maria Canessa, president of the United Nations Security Council, pleaded. "Save your neighbors from these monsters!"

"Listen," Rogan implored, "Selgina is ready to aid her neighbors once they meet her territorial claims."

"People are dying," Maria yelled, her voice echoed throughout the chamber.

After the Council was adjourned, Rogan met with Malnek in his suite.

"I won't be able to hold the nations of the world at bay forever," Rogan mopped his worried brow with a handkerchief. "They will not return our territory, I can assure you of that! We may have to give in to their demands or they will kick our country out of the UN, and once they do the nations of the world will feel justified in taking our controller by force, and when they find out that our controller is a copy of the Kilaak controller, they are going to demand an explanation on where we got it. Before you know it they will trace the Gargantua plague to us."

"Everyone wants something for nothing," Malnek said sardonically. He placed a briefcase on the table before Rogan. "Chairman Salno and I worked out a solution for your problem." He opened the briefcase. Inside were phials of Gargantua cells. "Almost every member of the UN is in dispute with another member. These phials will give them a chance to get revenge on their enemies."

Rogan put away his handkerchief. "I understand where you are going with this. Once another nation uses one of these phials they will share our guilt."

"Exactly. It is easy to punish one nation. But a multitude of nations?" Malnek chuckled.

Rogan laughed. "You are a life savior, Malnek!"

"I thought you would be pleased." Malnek closed the briefcase and left the Gargantua cells on the table.

Rogan got to work. As he sold the phials to the other members of the UN, protest withered in the hallowed halls of the United Nations. That was how the tribes of Gargantuas sprung up all over the world. Chairman Salno banked the income from the sales of the Gargantua cells into his foundation. He, President Hopto, and Malnek met at the palace to review their progress. Salno wore the traditional clothes with the ornate jacket and white ruff. Malnek also wore the same embroidered clothing, except his rank was not high enough to allow him to wear the ruff. Only Hopto wore the plain gray business suit the rest of the world's leaders wore.

"I'm pleased with your work," Hopto told his fellow collaborators. "The richer we get from these sales, the safer we will be when the public finds out what is going on. The truth always comes out."

"We are beyond worrying about the truth," Chairman Salno said. "It's time to expand our horizons. I prepared this statement for Rogan to read before the UN."

Hopto took a sheet of paper from Salno and read the statement. He frowned. "This is crazy. The United Nations refuses to return our lost territory. What makes you think they will let us take control of the whole world?"

"We are the only ones with the solution to their problem," Malnek said. "We have a controller. They don't."

Hopto shook his head. "No. I'm satisfied with regaining lost land."

Chairman Salno snorted. "You're scared."

"Of course I am," Hopto shot back. "That demand will makes us a target for assassination. Do you think your Assassin's Guild can protect us from a British commando unit or the Navy's Seals?" He turned to Malnek.

Malnek remained as rigid as a cadaver. "You are a head of state, Hopto. You will always be a target for assassination."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hopto stepped up to the master assassin.

While his back was turned, Chairman Salno poured a Brandy and released a few drops of liquid from a tiny cylinder. He slipped the cylinder back into his pocket and gave the drink to Hopto. "Take this. Calm your nerves."

Hopto knocked back half the glass.

"He meant nothing personal," Salno assured Hopto. "Being a target for assassination goes with the job of being a president. Have you forgotten?"

Hopto's knees suddenly gave out. Chairman Salno caught him before he could collapse upon the floor. Hopto's complexion turned deathly pale. Sweat broke out all over his face. The glass of Brandy struck the floor.

The burly chairman helped the ailing president to a chair. "You are just under a lot of stress. You will be all right, Hopto."

Hopto understood what Salno meant. He was not going to be killed. But he was going to be put out of the way.

The chairman summoned the servants and told them the president needed rest. They removed Hopto from the room.

"Perhaps Hopto is right," Malnek said once he and Chairman Salno were alone. "Maybe Rogan shouldn't read that statement."

Salno glowered at the assassin. "What do you mean?"

"Rogan is too diplomatic. Too intellectual. Too polite. We need a voice of steel."

"Ah!" Chairman Salno now understood. He handed the statement to Malnek. "Enjoy your moment in the spotlight."

Malnek gripped the paper with relish. "I shall."

xxx

Back in Dr. Who's lab all hell was breaking loose, the walls shaking due to the battle taking place between Frankenstein and Baragon, finally having their long awaited rematch in the laboratory. Sirens blared throughout the base.

"Goro," Dr. Who said as they walked briskly down the quaking hallway, "ready Mechanikong. This time we shall pilot him together and kill the beast ourselves."

Goro nodded his head. Naturally, as a fellow inventor he had familiarized himself with Dr. Who's robot and had learned how to operate it.

On the way to Mechanikong's silo, they met up with Miss Honeyblossom along with a fresh squad of guards.

"Doctor, what's going on in the lab? We saw a head burst from the floor and then the security cameras were knocked out."

"Baragon's back. He must have tunneled into the sea floor and came up underneath the base."

"We did detect a tremor on the seismometer," Miss Honeyblossom said, "but we thought it was coming from the volcano."

Leaning close to Honeyblossom's ear so Goro would not overhear, Dr. Who said, "In case anything should happen to this base, fetch the Prometheus embryo from Section 6 and take it to the spot we agreed upon. Understood?"

"Yes, Doctor." She nodded, and felt a hint of sadness. Considering what he was asking her to do, this could very well be the last time she would ever see him.

Back in the lab, as Shindo had hoped, once Frankenstein broke free, the room turned into a chaotic free for all. The guards could no longer focus upon fighting Shindo and keeping out from under the monsters' frenetic footfalls.

Looking for anything he could to hurl at the kaiju, Frankenstein picked up a beacon of boiling liquid and threw it at Baragon's head. As the glass broke and the liquid splattered, Baragon fired off his atomic ray and set his own face afire. The liquid was apparently flammable. Screeching in terror, Baragon burrowed his face into the dirt to put out the flames. Frankenstein grabbed hold of Baragon's tail, attempting to pull him from his burrow. Due to his weakness, and Baragon's panic induced strength, the archosaur used his tail to fling Frankenstein backwards into a whole row of gigantic laboratory equipment. Baragon pulled his head from the dirt, the flames now having been smothered, and looked upon his adversary in glee. Frankenstein was picking a shard of glass from his giant hide. Baragon let loose another volley of his ray in hopes of roasting his foe in the same chemicals, but the humanoid was too quick and leapt out of the way. When Baragon's ray struck the chemicals, the north half of the room sprung into flames.

Choking on smoke, Shindo said to Kyoko, "Maybe this was a bad idea after all."

"How do we get out of here? The exits are blocked!" Kyoko asked Shindo.

"Good question, and unfortunately I don't have an answer for you."

Though Jet Jaguar didn't overhear their conversation, he did feel pity for the poor Frankenstein monster. Even with his fighting spirit the creature was far too tired to put up a good struggle against Baragon, and neither creature could survive in the room due to the smoke from the fire. Jet Jaguar searched out the control panel until he found the button he was looking for which opened a gigantic sky roof. Above the roof was a shaft leading to the surface. He pushed another button and the laboratory began to rise.

Satisfied, Frankenstein's monster would be free momentarily from the underground prison, Jet Jaguar turned his attention to Shindo and Kyoko, scooped the duo up, and flew them to the surface.

Shindo looked to Kyoko. "I guess that's our answer."

Meanwhile, Dr. Who took to the controls of his giant robot, with Goro sitting at his side in the cramped control room. Dr. Who had installed it as a backup. His last robot had been foiled when Madame Piranha hijacked the controls from his ship.

The robot's silo began to rise bringing it to the surface. "How do you propose to get down to Frankenstein and Baragon?" Goro asked, unaware his own robot was in the process of bringing the two kaiju to the surface.

"Don't worry about that Goro. You don't know all of this robot's secrets."

The doctor was surprised when he reached the snowy surface to find the two monsters on the surface duking it out. "Yamaguchi," Who muttered, little knowing it was Goro's robot who had done the deed.

Baragon leered over the Frankenstein monster, overpowered and exhausted. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He was prepared to sink his teeth into his exposed neck and end his life. Strangely, the moment fell flat. Though happy to have evened the score between the two by winning the battle, the desire to kill this poor creature was leaving him. Though humanoid, he was still a kaiju like him. As Baragon pondered his moral dilemma he was struck from behind, knocking him off his prey. Baragon turned to see his old nemesis, the mechanical ape, who had again used his strange detachable fists to attack him from behind. Immediately, all of his hatred transitioned from Frankenstein to his more recent nemesis.

Frankenstein took in the sight of the robotic ape approaching him and knew instinctively the evil man who had caused him so much pain was inside. The hatred filled him with a second wind and he stood.

Baragon watched the ape approaching Frankenstein, for all Baragon knew to kill him. He jumped and latched onto the metal arm like a bulldog. Frankenstein mistakenly assumed Baragon was defending him. Frankenstein joined in the tussle and grabbed Mechanikong's other arm.

"You fool! Don't you see I'm here to help you!" Dr. Who muttered angrily. "Goro, use your kaiju communicator to tell him."

Frankenstein could hear a strange voice in his head telling him that the robot was here to help, but he knew it was a lie which only made him angrier. With a growl he pivoted his weight and managed to sling the robot to the ground.

From a safe distance where Jet Jaguar had set them down, the trio watched the ensuing struggle. Though Frankenstein and his new companion had gotten in some good licks, they couldn't compete with the new bag of tricks Mechanikong was pulling from his hat. When the robot had thrown a grenade at Frankenstein he had caught it, and not knowing what it was had let it detonate in his hand, blowing it completely off.

He doubled over in pain. Baragon looked at his ally and in his distraction Mechanikong picked up Baragon with both arms raising him over its head, and then brought the beast's back down hard over his knee. Baragon squealed in pain.

Jet Jaguar watched the battle from afar and mulled over what Shindo had told him in his electric brain. Dr. Who had tortured the giant man. That was cruel. Cruel people were usually evil. Shindo by logic was right. If Who was cruel to others, he would one day turn cruel on Goro. Whether it was against his creator's wishes or not, Jet Jaguar would save him from the doctor. Jet Jaguar took off and headed for the battle.

"Do you think he's going to help the monsters, or Dr. Who?" Kyoko asked.

Shindo was about to say "You're the monster expert," when he felt something large moving under the frozen icy water.

Shindo and Kyoko locked eyes. "That better not be another monster," he muttered.

"Run!" Kyoko shouted and the duo made tracks just as a massive form broke the surface. It turned out to be a submarine Shindo knew very well. "The _Explorer_!" Shindo muttered.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, Commander Carl Nelson popped his head from the hatch. "Shindo Yamaguchi, don't you know better than to accept an invitation to one of Dr. Who's dinner parties?"

"Carl! I take it the UN chose you to be my rescuer?"

"I happened to be in the neighborhood."

Back on the battlefield, Baragon, in his fear, managed to summon up another burst of strength and in a leap managed to knock the metal ape over. While the ape was down he ran to his compatriot. _This metal monster is too much for us_ , Baragon managed to communicate to Frankenstein. _Come with me, and we will live to fight it another day._

Frankenstein hopped atop the larger kaiju's back, and Baragon bounded across the ice with his new ally atop his back running right past Shindo, Kyoko and the _Explorer_. Shindo and Kyoko had to jump out of the way at the last instant the creatures came so close to them.

"What the…?" Nelson stammered at the bizarre sight that had just zoomed past him.

"Baragon," Shindo panted.

"And Frankenstein," Kyoko added.

"And I thought Kong was ugly," Carl said.

Inside of Mechanikong II, Dr. Who was still recoiling from the fact that Baragon had managed to knock them over and was righting the robot back into standing position ready to finish the fight. Baragon was gone, and Dr. Who squinted through the snow flurries trying to make out the gigantic figure now standing before them. At first he thought perhaps it was Frankenstein again, but he finally realized it was Jet Jaguar. He nudged Goro as Jet Jaguar marched towards them. "Find out what he wants."

"He probably just wants to make sure I'm okay." Then into his medallion he stated, "Jet Jaguar stand down. I'm all right."

The robot ignored his command and slugged the metal copy of Kong in the chest.

"Get him to stop!" Who shouted as Mechanikong teetered backwards.

"Jet Jaguar what are you doing!" Goro yelled into his controller. "I order you to stop!"

Jet Jaguar didn't stop and advanced towards them again.

"I'll show him." Dr. Who let loose Mechanikong's metal fist punching Jet Jaguar in the chest and knocking him into the ice, sliding him backwards several thousand feet and into a snowy hill.

Jet Jaguar hopped up and brushed off the snow and mud, undeterred. He ran for Mechanikong, and as soon as the ape fired his projectile fist Jet Jaguar jumped into the air in a flip, grabbing the chain connecting the fist to the arm and used his momentum coming down to fling the robot across the ice and into a snowy hill just as it had done him.

"We better get out of here," Carl said to Shindo and Kyoko. "Get aboard!"

They began to climb aboard, but when Carl prepared to shut the hatch Shindo said, "Wait. Jet Jaguar may be our only chance to stop the Gargantuas. If he can grab Ibuki, then we'll have a new controller we can subdue them with!"

"We'll surface for Jet Jaguar and Ibuki later, but right now we're going to dive. I have something special planned for Dr. Who's base, if you get my drift." Shindo did. Carl was going to blow his base with torpedoes.

"What about the Kilaak controller?" Kyoko asked. "Destroy the base and you will destroy our only means of controlling the kaiju."

"We hadn't seen it yet," Shindo reminded her. "We can't say for sure it's here."

"Where else would it be?" Kyoko asked.

Shindo turned to Carl. "It's your call. Do you want to blow up the base?"

Carl was surprisingly resolute. "I'm willing to bet your controller is in Selgina, Ms. Manabe. If not the original, then an excellent copy. We're blowing the base. Get below."

As Carl ordered his crew to prepare to launch torpedoes, Jet Jaguar and Mechanikong continued to fight.

"Dr. Who, stop! Let me go outside and talk to him!" Goro pleaded inside the cockpit.

"I'm worried that's exactly what he wants," Who said to Goro and delivered a precise Judo chop to his neck rendering him unconscious. Goro slumped over his control panel.

"Now, Jet Jaguar, the kiddy gloves are off. Let's see what you are really made of," said the good doctor as Mechanikong flung a grenade at him, or rather near him as it rolled on the ground too far to do him any harm. Even with the robot's perpetual grin Who swore he could sense a look of befuddlement. "Just wait my friend."

The grenade detonated causing a rift in the ice, one that opened up and swallowed Jet Jaguar into the icy water below. "Let's see how you do in the freezing cold, Jet Jaguar." It was the doctor's hope that once he emerged that when the freezing water met the freezing air the ice might slow the giant robot down. Instead Jet Jaguar shot up straight into the air from the water, flying so fast that most of the icy water ran off as he spun in circles.

Jet Jaguar flew straight back down towards the metal ape. Dr. Who met him in the air with one of Mechanikong's detachable fists. Jet Jaguar grabbed it and Who yanked it back down, while at the same time firing the other fist upwards knocking Jet Jaguar in the face. The robot fell to the ground.

Under the water, Carl ordered his crew to ready the torpedoes. He looked at Shindo. "You don't want to push the button do you?"

"Be my guest," Shindo held out his hand. "He's your arch-nemesis, not mine."

"No, allow me," Kyoko stepped in, flipped the switch and sent the torpedo on its way. Who's luxurious base at Heard Island would be no more.

Back on the ice, Jet Jaguar had no intentions of overpowering the robot. He was in fact memorizing its fighting techniques and filing the information into his memory banks. His real goal was to find entrance into the beast so that he could shrink down and rescue Goro. He didn't dare risk doing it in his smaller size, in that form one blow from Mechanikong would decimate him. On the other hand, he had expended so much power lately he felt himself growing weak again. He needed to achieve his objective soon.

Dr. Who was surprised the robot hadn't given up yet and decided to taunt him over the loudspeaker, "Jet Jaguar, would you pit your mechanical mind against mine, mine that has toppled nations!"

Before Dr. Who was about to deliver another blow Jet Jaguar caught a break as the doctor's beloved base suddenly exploded. "What, no!" Dr. Who yelled. As the ape stood still Jet Jaguar was finally able to scan for ingress. His entrance was through a small door in the ape's left foot. Jet Jaguar shrunk himself down to human-size so fast Dr. Who lost track of him and pried it open and slunk inside. Jet Jaguar flew up an elevator shaft and into the control room.

When he came face to face with Dr. Who the shocked scientist tried to negotiate. "Jet Jaguar, on behalf of your creator I order you to stand down!" The robot brushed him aside and unbuckled his unconscious creator from his station. "He'll be angry with you when he awakens, Jet Jaguar. I assure you of that! Don't do it! The UN will have you dismantled piece by piece if you surrender to them!" he yelled as the robot disappeared back down the elevator shaft. The dismayed doctor turned his view back to his beloved base, now completely unsalvageable in the fire. All of his years of research and work were gone. And now, so was Goro and the controller. He could only hope that Miss Honeyblossom had escaped with his last bit of precious cargo. He watched as Jet Jaguar flew off towards the sea. "I take it back. The UN won't dismantle you, I will."

xxx

The people of the world had been under the threat of the marauding gargantuas that they were becoming weary. No one could imagine this terror ever ending. But at least no one could imagine this crisis getting worse. How could it?

Nevertheless it did become worse. Selgina made an announcement to the world. It was so shattering, the television networks across the world preempted their schedules to give Selgina's spokesman air time.

Instead of Rogan, Malnek appeared on people's television screens. The studio was dimly lit. Only a microphone and his mouth could be clearly seen. The rest of his head and shoulders were shrouded in shadow. Row upon row of monitors filled up the space behind him. They were displaying horrifying footage of the carnage wrought by the Gargantuas.

"To the people of the world. This is Deputy Chairman Malnek of The People's Democratic Republic of Selgina. I am speaking to you live from an undisclosed location. You have a problem. It is the Gargantuas. We have the solution. We can save your communities. On numerous occasions we offered to use our kaiju repeller to drive the monsters away from the populated areas of India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan in exchanged for territory that is rightfully ours. Each time the United Nations has refused to return our land to us.

"Selgina does not hold grudges. Selginans are not a bitter people. We still offer you the use of our repeller. But the price has changed. If you, the world, wish to be saved, you must unite under one flag. Our flag. You will become one nation—our nation. You will become provinces of The People's Democratic Republic of Selgina. You will be subject to our leaders and will obey our laws and use our currency.

"The price is too high, you say?" Malnek shrugged. "Very well. Sit with your problem. One Gargantua consumes about twenty five humans a day. That is a hundred seventy five humans a week, seven hundred a month, which totals eighty-four hundred a year. The average tribe has about five hundred individuals. In one year a tribe can consume over four million people, and they are multiplying faster than you.

"But don't worry. The Gargantuas are herding people into pens like cattle. In time they may learn to save some of you as breeding stock. Now," Malnek folded his hands behind the microphone, "would you want a Gargantua to choose the father of your children? Take all the time you need to consider our offer. We await your reply."

 **Chapter Ten: The Cure**

While Godzilla and the other monsters swam across the ocean, Rodan and his son Loki were serving as scouts, keeping tabs on the enemy. From what Rodan could tell the beasts were still multiplying and spreading rapidly. Yet, out of all the Gargantuas, he recognized the large Green Gargantua that oversaw the tribe in the Himalayas as the Gargantua King. For this reason he often returned to buzz over the mountains to see what they were up to. Usually they were out where he could see them, but today they were nowhere to be seen.

Rodan decided to fly lower for a better look. Loki followed him. They spotted a corral of horses which would make a perfect meal in an isolated spot far from both the decimated human village and the Gargantua tribe. They had been flying for a long time now, and Loki was hungry so he dived down to the corral for a landing. Rodan squawked at him to stop, something about the corral seemed too good to be true, but it was too late. The horses all whinnied in fear at Loki who immediately pecked up one of the horses. _Loki, no!_ Rodan bellowed again. _But why, look at all this food?_ replied his mischievous son. And that's when Rodan noticed some dark shapes, Black Gargantuas, rising from the dark rocks that they had blended in to. Above them in the snow arose a group of pure white Gargantuas. They were about to launch some sort of projectile at his son! Rodan threw himself in between Loki and the projectile and soon found himself encompassed in a gigantic net. Loki hopped away from the corral in shock and then let out a bellow at his attackers. Try as he might, Rodan could not free himself from the gigantic net. Loki began to grab the ropes in his beak, but it was to no avail, they were too tight and the Gargantuas were rapidly approaching. Rodan ordered his son to escape, there were too many to fight. Loki looked back and forth between his father and the many Gargantuas racing towards them from the mountain. His father was right, he would need help. _Tell Godzilla and the others what has happened! Hurry!_ Rodan ordered and his son blasted off for the skies above.

xxx

Jet Jaguar's grinning face was the first thing Goro could see when he came to. Even with the perpetual grin, Goro swore he could occasionally see what the robot was thinking, and right now he sensed concern. "Where am I?" he muttered as he looked around the small room containing only one table, two chairs on either side, and a lamp hanging overhead. If he didn't know better, he would think it was an interrogation room. Just then, in walked Shindo Yamaguchi.

"Oh no, what did you do?" Goro bemoaned to Jet Jaguar.

"He rescued you, Ibuki-san. You should be grateful," Shindo said as he sat down across from him.

"Grateful? I was trying to protect him." Goro motioned to his robot. "Do you really think the UN is going to let me keep him, especially after everything that's happened?"

"And what exactly has happened, Goro?"

"You know what's happened."

Shindo gave a thoughtful frown and said, "As far as I can tell what happened was I witnessed your kidnapping on Monsterland, you were held by Dr. Who at his secret base, and now, you've been rescued. As far as the books go, that's what happened."

"Look, Shindo, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but this still doesn't save me from the UN. You said yourself—"

Shindo cut him off. "There's eh, been some new developments since we've boarded the _Explorer_."

"Wait, we're on a submarine?" Goro said incredulous.

Shindo ignored his remark. "Tell you what, I'll have the man himself tell you what he knows. You two even have a few things in common." Shindo smiled at him, got up and exited the room. Seconds later entered a burly American in uniform. Goro immediately noticed the UN insignia.

"Don't tell me this is supposed to be good cop, bad cop."

"Hardly the case, Ibuki-san, in fact I've been looking forward to meeting you. I'm Commander Carl Nelson." He held out his hand and Goro reluctantly shook it. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I bet," Goro said.

"No," he chuckled, "not like that, I mean even before this recent…debacle. Ever since you and your robot defeated the Seatopians the government has had my crew and I scouring the ocean floor for Seatopia, but that's another story. But no, you caught my interest because you and I have a great deal in common."

Goro was skeptical. He had recently gotten a similar speech from Dr. Who. "What could you and I possibly have in common?"

"Would you believe I once designed a giant robot and used to be good friends with Dr. Who?"

"What?"

Carl nodded his head. "Mechanikong was my design before Who stole my plans. Not many people know that. Of course, we had different plans for the robot but…"

"How," Goro clearly wanted more details, but Carl held up his hand.

"That's a story for another time. So let's quit beating around the bush. When your robot brought you in you had some sort of monster communicator on you. Will you help us use it to defeat the Gargantuas?"

Goro was silent for a moment. "I'm all for helping you stop this horrid plague. However, don't think that means I'm going to hand myself over to the U.N."

"Don't worry about the United Nations Security Council. I have it on good authority that half of the members are involved in spreading the plague."

Goro sat up in his chair, surprised.

Nelson continued, "I can't give you the details. An internal investigation is in progress. But I can tell you this much. The guilty will be exposed. Maybe within a few days. Maybe a few weeks. The time to come back to the free world is now. When the hammer falls, you will want to be seen helping eradicate the plague. That will make your accusers look like hypocrites. Public perception of you will change like that." Carl snapped his fingers. "If you wait, the UN will clean house. New representatives will be ushered in and that will be it. Your window of opportunity will be closed. The new Security Council will finish up the business the old Council left behind and that business will be you. So what do you want to do? You want to continue hiding or join the team?"

This sounded too good to be true. Full exoneration. At the same time Goro felt rushed. What if this plan didn't play out as Carl said it would? Coming back to the free world would make it easier for the authorities to arrest him. He wanted time to think it over, to be sure he was doing the right thing. In his heart, he wanted to be counted among the law-abiding. Goro decided to follow his heart.

He stood and held his hand out to Carl. "Count me in, Commander."

"Glad to hear it!" Carl grabbed his hand and gave it a hearty shake. His grip was strong and reassuring.

xxx

In the South China Sea, in the vicinity of Malaysia, the local fishermen were witnessing quite a sight. In the skies above was a whole flock of Rodans and below them swam a cavalcade of kaiju with Godzilla in the lead, followed by Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Varan, Manda, and what appeared to be the giant spider Kumonga getting towed across the water by a juvenile Rodan. Just as Godzilla was about to beleaguer his friends to hurry up, he heard a high pitched whir in the air. It wasn't Rodan, that sound he knew well, but one of his offspring, and he was coming in fast. Just then Loki came in for a landing so fast that he crashed down into the water, completely exasperated. Rodana flew down from the sky to check on her young while Loki sputtered and choked in front of Godzilla. _We've got to hurry!_ He was saying. _Where is your father_? clucked Rodana. _Those hairy beasts, they have father_! As he said it Godzilla felt a tingle of nuclear energy in his dorsal fins. This had just gotten personal.

xxx

South of the monsters in the Indian Ocean Carl Nelson came swaggering onto the bridge of the _Explorer_ to join Shindo, Kyoko, Goro and Jet Jaguar. "Big news from New York. They're going to blow up the Gargantuas."

"What are they going to do, drop the A-Bomb on them?" Shindo asked.

"No, a volcano. Or rather, bring them to the volcano. And since we have the controller and Mr. Ibuki here, it's up to us to get them there." Nelson slapped Goro on the back.

"Where exactly?" Shindo asked.

"You're never going to believe it. Krakatoa." Carl answered.

"Krakatoa! It hasn't erupted for nearly 100 years." Goro said.

"How do they plan to induce eruption?" Kyoko asked.

"Explosives naturally."

"Don't they know how dangerous that is, if they overshoot the eruption it could put a cloud of volcanic ash in the air enough to encircle the whole world!" Shindo exclaimed.

"No need to worry, because we'll be the ones to place the explosives." Nelson looked at Goro and Kyoko when he said it.

"We?" Kyoko said while Goro looked at Nelson in confusion.

"As it is, we're closer to Krakatoa than anyone else in the UN."

"If you use the controller now, do you think the Gargantuas would beat us there?" Kyoko asked Goro.

Carl answered, "No, the _Explorer_ will reach Krakatoa long before they do and we'll be gone in plenty of time before they arrive."

Goro picked up his communicator and took in a deep breath. He had never talked to a plague before. "Here goes nothing."

xxx

Rodan thrashed within the net, squawking savagely at the Hoorka tribe. The females and offspring gathered around the kaiju pterosaur. Saliva dripped from their jaws. Hoorka held up his hands then swung them out to his sides. The tribe slinked back with envious eyes. As always, the chief picks the choicest portions of meat from captured prey.

Hiska handed Hoorka a spear.

The tribe held its breath in anticipation. But Hoorka did not kill the winged beast. Instead he consulted Hiska.

The chief grunted, _What is our next move?_

 _We set traps,_ Hiska grunted in return. _The reptile tribe will seek their tribesman as we would seek ours. When they come we wipe out the entire tribe._

Satisfied, Hoorka nodded.

The tribe became restless. Here lay food in the net. Good food. A fistful of humans barely made a good mouthful. This creature would not only fill their mouths but their bellies as well. It did not make sense to them to let the creature thrash. They grumbled at their chief.

Hoorka swept his hands, signaling them to stay back.

A female demanded to know why they should obey. Why use the winged reptile as bait? Dead or alive, its tribe will come looking for it. _Let us eat_ , it shrieked to the other members of the tribe.

Hiska leapt between the female and their captured prey. He shook his head, hissing that their prey is intelligent. By then Rodan had stopped thrashing and was studying the net. It thrust its finger at Rodan's face so all could see the measured look in its eyes. _Eat the beast_ , he snarled, _and we shall become possessed by its spirit!_

The tribe wailed in terror and fell further away from Rodan.

The female snarled, _Crush its head!_ She mimicked throwing boulders. _Crush the head and its spirit will leave. Then its flesh will be safe to eat._

The tribe growled. They became filled with glee. They grabbed boulders and crowded around Rodan. They shouldered each other out of the way, eager to be the first.

After Hiska's ruse failed, Hoorka growled at his tribe, shoving them back, young and old alike. The female shrieked, _Kill! Kill! Kill and eat!_

The entire tribe chanted, _Kill! Kill! Kill and eat!_

Hoorka slammed his spear through the rebellious female's chest. He struck her with such force he pinned her to the ground. She gnashed her teeth as she tried to break the spear. Hoorka held it firmly in place. Black blood gushed from the wound, staining her mangy green fur. The hate in her eyes soon cooled to fear, as she gazed up at the sky. Her last breath came as a gasp then she lay still.

The tribe fell silent. They stared in dread. One moment the female was full of life. Then she was a husk. They sensed their own mortality in her death.

Hoorka spread his hand once more.

This time the tribe obeyed. They dropped their boulders and shuffled away from Rodan.

Then the gods spoke to Hoorka: "Come to Krakatoa Island."

Hoorka roared to the tribe, commanding them to be silent so he could concentrate. The gods wish to speak to him.

The tribe became anxious. Did the gods witness what had happened? Would they be punished? They looked to the sky, trying to hear the words that only Hoorka could hear.

 _Where is the god President Hopto?_ Hoorka asked in his thoughts. _Which god are you?_

Goro, who was talking to Chief Hoorka through his kaiju communicator, asked Carl Nelson, "What do I say? He wants a name."

Carl rubbed his chin in thought.

Goro pursed his lips, becoming tense. Time was crucial. Make the Gargantua wait too long and it might begin to have doubts it was being spoken to by a higher power.

"Tell him you are Sunda," Carl said.

"That's the name of the strait where the island is located," Goro interjected.

"And it makes a good name for a god, don't you think?" Carl grinned. "You are Sunda. Krakatoa is one of your islands. You will meet the tribe there. They shall know you by your orange light and black smoke. The ground will shake below their feet, but tell them they should not be afraid, for Sunda wishes to bless them for their faithfulness."

Goro relayed to Hoorka that he was the god Sunda and all the other details Carl had fabricated.

Hoorka could not believe what he was hearing.

Hiska sensed that Hoorka was uneasy. He touched his chief's arm to show his concern.

Hoorka shook his head. _I feel a compulsion to go to an island_ , he snorted. _The god Sunda wishes to bless the tribe. What does 'bless' mean?_

Hiska snorted back: W _e must go regardless. Whatever a blessing is we must be strong enough to face it._

Hoorka's beetle-brow wrinkled with worry. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He did not like following a mysterious god.

But Hiska was adamant. When the gods speak, the tribe must obey. Up until now Hiska was right. Hoorka followed his advice. He raised his spear to draw the tribe's attention and growled at them to follow. He commanded three warriors to drag the winged reptile with them and lead his people across the Asian mainland, like Moses leading the tribes of Israel to the Promised Land, except this Promised Land would be flowing with molten rock, not milk and honey.

xxx

Goro stared at his smoking communicator. Talking to so many kaiju at once, not to mention the massive broadcast range it had to project to do so, had in effect smoked the machine. It would take hours for it to cool down. But, at least it had gotten the job done and Goro felt a strange sense of finality. Soon the nightmare would be over.

Shindo was concerned about the unfinished business in Selgina. Hopto's kaiju repeller could be used to divert the Gargantuas from entering the volcano. Carl granted Shindo permission to make radio contact with Yamashita in Tokyo. Yamashita agreed, Hopto's repeller must be seized or destroyed. He told Shindo he would secure authorization from the defense minister. The minister would no doubt approve of the mission, so while they waited for the wheels to turn in Tokyo, Yamashita wanted Shindo to meet Yomo in the city of Siliguri, which was just south of Selgina. Once the minister granted permission they were to carry out their orders. Shindo acknowledged and broke contact.

The _Explorer_ docked at the port city of Haldia. Shindo bid farewell to Carl and Kyoko. Goro was unsure if he was going to shake hands with the secret agent, too. They regarded each other hesitantly. Shindo put out his hand. Goro grabbed it, gave it a hardy shake. The tension melted away. Though he initially did not like Shindo, Goro had to admit he felt odd seeing Shindo go, like his big brother had left his side on the verge of a big rumble and there was no one to watch his back.

"Best of luck," Carl said as Shindo turned to head down the dock.

Shindo paused and said, "You, too." Then he left.

Carl turned to Kyoko and Goro. "All right. You have five hours to go ashore and stretch your legs while my crew refuels the sub. If you are person of faith, now is the time to say a prayer because when we go back to sea we are heading for Krakatoa."

The commander made it sound as though they were heading for the gates of Hell. To a degree, he was right.

Goro and Kyoko went into the city to get a meal. Army trucks carrying refugees who were fleeing the Gargantua plague muscled their way through traffic. Honking horns and exhaust filled the streets. The city had not been impacted by the plague, but the authorities had taken the precaution of posting instructions to on the buildings explaining what to do in the event of a Gargantua invasion. They stopped at a Café Darshini and ordered a couple bowls of Sambar stew.

The restaurant's TVs were broadcasting a report from Tomoko Mahiko of NHK News: "Reports are surfacing that the world might be in for the rumble of the century. Radar tracking indicates all of the Gargantuas recently ravaging Asia are migrating in mass numbers southwards towards a location in the Java Sea. Likewise, naval cruisers have spotted Godzilla and all of the kaiju once detained on Monsterland to be swimming through the Makassar Strait. Most authorities do not consider this close proximity in location to be a coincidence. All signs point to the biggest battle of kaiju since the the Kilaak invasion. We will update you as the story develops."

Kyoko turned to Goro immediately. As director of Monsterland she only wanted to see the kaiju kept from harming people, but didn't wish to see them destroyed. "Did you use your controller to send our kaiju to Krakatoa?"

"No, I calibrated the frequency for the Gargantuas only…" his words trailed off until a look of realization dawned on his face. "I see, they're going to face the Gargantuas on their own."

"If they go to the island they'll be incinerated. We have to find a way to stop them." Kyoko paid for their meals with her UN expense card.

They returned to the sub and fetched Jet Jaguar, who was waiting in Goro's quarters. Up on the deck, Goro gave his robot his instructions: "Warn the kaiju. They do not need to fight the Gargantuas. We have everything under control. Do you understand?"

Jet Jaguar gave him thumbs up, opened the antennas on the side of his head and took off.

Several miles away Godzilla roared in greeting to Jet Jaguar. _Have you come to join us?_

Jet Jaguar hovered in midair at eye level with Godzilla and began his communications. _Good news. There is no need to fight. The humans are luring the Gargantuas to a volcano which will incinerate them all._ _They appreciate your help, but do not wish you to be incinerated as well._

The monsters began to growl and grumble, some in frustration for having swam so far for nothing, and others like Anguirus because they looked forward to the fight. Godzilla's face took on a look of worry.

 _Did you not understand the news_? Jet Jaguar questioned Godzilla.

 _No, the creatures have Rodan_ , he communicated. _Will you help us free him?_

Jet Jaguar signaled that he understood their dilemma, and he would not only guide them to the island but also help them in their fight.

When Godzilla turned to see what the other's reactions were Varan and Manda with Kumonga in tow were turning back.

 _Where are you going?_ Godzilla roared.

 _Did you not hear him?_ Manda hissed. _The beasts will be incinerated._

 _What about my mate?_ Rodana chirped in as did her young in regards to their father.

 _We came to fight to exterminate the humanoid monsters, Rodan got himself into this mess, rescuing him is not our concern._ Varan chimed in.

 _Fine, we don't need the aid of cowards_ , Godzilla roared to the deserters. He turned back and continued his voyage with Anguirus and the Rodans. In spite of what he said, he feared facing that many monsters without the aid of his brethren.

xxx

Shindo boarded a military cargo plane for Darjeeling, the northernmost district of West Bengal, India. The plane creaked under the weight of medical supplies and food. Outside the window he could see crushed villages and whole hillsides stripped of their trees. An army colonel sitting next to Shindo told him that three different tribes of Gargantuas had been pulling the trees out by the roots and using them to build their horrible corrals. He had seen corrals built for elephants, cattle, and of course, humans.

The plane landed in Siliguri. Siliguri was a cosmopolitan city of commerce and tourism. It resided along the banks of the Mahananda River and was surrounded by misty jungles and mud-soaked rice paddies. The snow-capped Himalayas filled the horizon. Shindo flashed his credentials to the soldiers manning the gate. The airport had fallen under martial law once the Gargantua plague had spread throughout the district. The buildings were too dense for the Gargantuas to penetrate the city, but they had raided the outlying metropolitan areas. The authorities allowed the businesses to keep their doors open at their own risk. Many did. However, Siliguri had become a hub. The planes flew out with refugees and flew back with soldiers and supplies. The airport was thick with soiled, sweaty humanity. Muddy footprints marred the floors.

Shindo headed out into the main lobby where Yomo was waiting. The two friends greeted each other with warm smiles. It seemed like ages since they had last seen each other.

"How did things go in New York?" Shindo asked.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Yomo said with pride. "However, I must warn you I haven't had time to keep up with my hygiene. I've been attracting flies."

That was code. Yomo must have ran into trouble back in New York City and now someone's henchmen had followed him. Shindo kept an eye out for trouble.

Yomo rented a car and drove to the Royal Sarovar Portico Hotel where he had booked a room. In the car they could talk freely.

"What kind of flies did you attract?" Shindo asked. "Selginan?"

Yomo shook his head. "Uruguayan."

"Uruguayan?"

"Here's what happened," Yomo explained. "While I was keeping an eye on Rogan I bumped into another person who was doing the same thing. Lucky for me she knew Rogan ever since she was a little girl. She knew he was up to no good. In fact, she is the one who tipped me off about Rogan selling Gargantua cells to the other members of the United Nations."

"Carl told me the UN was involved in spreading the plague," Shindo said. "So Rogan was selling Gargantua cells?"

"Yes, and Maria Canessa was working with him. She used her position as the president of the Security Council to sniff out potential buyers and put them in contact with Rogan. She collected a finder's fee from the sale while he pocketed the rest."

"Canessa and Rogan were bitter rivals. Why did they start working together?"

"I just told you," Yomo gave a wry grin. "Money was involved."

"Of course," Shindo nodded. "How did you find out about Rogan's dealings with Canessa?"

"From my contact," Yomo said. Before he could say more he brought the car to a stop at the railroad crossing. Instead of a train, a tribe of Gargantuas marched down the track. Soldiers and police followed them in armored troop carries. The giants paid no attention. They were heading southeast, a direction that would take them to the Indian Ocean and from there to Krakatoa Island. The ground shuttered under their thundering footsteps. The other motorists craned their necks, trying to find an escape route, but there were too many vehicles. It was impossible to back out. All anyone could do was watch and hope the Gargantuas would not attack. Shindo had no fear because he knew these giants were under the hypnotic spell of Goro's communicator. Once the Gargantuas passed, the police got traffic flowing again.

"As you were saying," Shindo said.

Yomo exhaled in awe at the sight then resumed his story. "My contact approached Canessa. She figured Canessa would be loyal to the Selginan royal family because Selgina and Uruguay were trading partners. Canessa could care less about the royal family. She was loyal to whoever was in power and since that was President Hopto, she would only deal with Rogan. My contact expressed her regrets. Canessa took that to mean my contact would expose her to the UN's Secretary-General, which is exactly what happened. My contact got in touch with me, told me the story, and asked for my protection. Of course I said yes. We collected evidence. Delivered our report to the secretary-general. You won't hear about it in the news for a few days, but the arrest has already been made. Canessa is due in court at The Hague. But the fun isn't over. Canessa is going to fight the charges. To win she needs to kill my contact before the prosecution can build its case."

"And that's why you have been attracting Uruguayan flies," Shindo said in conclusion.

"Correct," Yomo nodded. He took highway 10 until it merged with Sevoke Road. After a few more blocks he slowed the car and took a left into the parking lot of the hotel. The Royal Sarovar Portico was a pleasant-looking hotel. It had six floors with sixty-five guest rooms. A soldier waved them to a halt and asked for their IDs. They showed the soldier their credentials as members of the Japanese secret service. Yomo also showed the parking stub as proof that he had a room booked at the hotel. The soldier waved them in.

"Now this is where things get complicated," Yomo said as he searched for a parking space. "Canessa can have her killed and not take the blame because as far as the world is concerned my contact is already dead."

"Wait!" The pieces of Yomo's story fell into place like tumblers in a lock. "Your contact isn't who I think she is, is she?"

Yomo grinned like a cat that got the canary.

That was all the confirmation Shindo needed. "Your contact is Selina Salno! She's alive!" He felt as giddy as a teenager. Selina Salno had become a celebrity when she disappeared after an assassination attempt and returned as a prophetess. She warned the world that King Ghidorah was coming to Earth. Later it was discovered that she had become possessed by a Venusian spirit—some say the spirit was Martian. After the spirit left her body she had lost the ability to foretell the future. Shindo would have given his right arm to be her bodyguard when she was in Japan. Instead that job went to a police detective. Not only would the assignment had been the most exotic one he had ever done, but Selina was stunningly beautiful. "You lucky bastard! Here I had to fly all over the globe with this goofy robot, looking for his nutty inventor, and you get to vacation in New York City with Selina Salno. This proves it. There is no justice in the world."

Yomo laughed. "It wasn't all wine and roses, believe me."

"Yeah! Yeah! Don't try to make me feel better. Where is Queen Salno now?"

"Here at the hotel."

"You brought her along?"

Yomo parked the car and then finished his story. "She came along. After we exposed the sale of Gargantua cells to the UN, Rogan flew back to Selgina. The work in New York is finished. Hopto's presidency is going to be discredited. Now she wants to rally her retainers so she can reclaim her throne."

"Our job is to secure Hopto's kaiju repeller," Shindo reminded Yomo. "Not start a counter-revolution."

"We'll figure something out." Yomo turned off the car and pocketed the keys.

They got out of the car. The hotel lobby was packed with refugees and rescue workers. One man stood out from the crowd. He was not dressed in anything conspicuous, but he was a Latin American. How many Latin American men would be out here in West Bengal, in Gargantua-infested territory?

Or for that matter, how many Japanese men would be here in West Bengal, in Gargantua-infested territory?

Shindo made eye contact with the man. There was an immediate understanding between them that they were here on business and that business involved Selina Salno.

The man broke eye contact and retreated down the main corridor.

Shindo nudged Yomo. "I spotted one of the flies. We need to get to your room. Fast."

Drawing their service pistols, they ran past the front desk and rounded the corner to the elevators.

"Which floor?" Shindo asked.

"Second."

"Room?"

"215."

"It will be faster if we take the stairs."

They bolted up the stairwell to the second floor. Hotel guests ran into them on the way up. They were screaming in a panic. Submachinegun fire chattered from the second floor. By the time Shindo and Yomo reached the second floor the gunfire ceased. Shindo doubled his speed to room 215. The door was ajar. He slammed it aside and aimed his firearm. He searched one end of the room to the next. On the floor was a man, Latin American, rubbing the back of his neck. Shindo flipped him around.

The man held out his hands, showing he was unarmed. "I done nothing!" he pleaded in Spanish. "I have no weapons! See?"

Shindo knocked him out with one blow to the head. "Tie him up."

Yomo got to work.

The room they were in was a sitting room. Shindo checked the bedroom. No one was here. Selina's luggage was beside the dresser. Bullet holes riddled the walls. At least there was no blood. Her makeup kit was open on the dresser. Shindo noticed that there was no lipstick in the kit. Interesting.

He returned to the sitting room. Yomo had the hitman securely tied using the cord to the drapes.

The silence was unnerving. Selina could be anywhere. Alive. Captured. Even dead.

"Leave him," Shindo said regarding the gunman. "Security will be up here in any minute."

Gunfire erupted outside. Shindo and Yomo rushed to the window. Down below they could see BTR-60 armored personnel carriers storming through the gates. They smashed into the parked cars and disgorged their passengers. The passengers were mercenaries. They wore surplus uniforms from a variety of countries—American, Indian, Chinese, Russian. Some of them even wore blue jeans and polyester shirts. All of them had black scarves wrapped around their faces to hide their identity. The Indian soldiers were few in number and hard pressed to hold back the horde of masked gunmen.

"Canessa is not taking any chances," Shindo remarked. "She's going scorched earth, all the way."

"I would, too, if I knew you were coming to town," Yomo quipped.

Shindo rolled his eyes. "Come on!"

They ran back out into the hall. There was a red dash on the wall several doors down. Shindo checked out the mark. As he thought, it was lipstick. "Selina left a trail for us."

They found another mark further down the hall. Then a host of submachineguns barked like hellhounds. The trail was no longer needed. They rushed toward the noise and found five more Latin Americans. They were at a stairwell, firing down at the lower level. Shindo guessed they were in a firefight with the Indian soldiers. He and Yomo opened fire, eliminating two before the hitmen realized that they had been flanked. The survivors divided their fire between the stairwell and the two Japanese secret agents. Wood splinters and glass sprayed as the bullets chewed up the corridor. A voice called out in the midst of the battle. It spoke in a thick Punjabi accent. "Get out of the way! We got them!"

The voice came from behind, at the far end of the hall. The Latin American hitmen at the stairwell smiled and ducked out of line of sight. Shindo looked over his shoulder and saw three masked mercenaries. He and Yomo dropped to the floor and exchanged fire with this second group of gunmen. The Indian soldiers from downstairs stormed up the stairwell and found themselves cut down by the Latin Americans who waited in ambush. Shindo and Yomo were on their own with enemies at either end of the hall.

The mercenaries started closing the distance. One by one, a gunman rushed up to the next doorway and took up a firing position while his comrades provided cover fire.

"Look!" Yomo pointed at the door beside Shindo. "Selina's trail ends there!"

Shindo shot out the lock and kicked the door wide open and crawled into the room. Yomo crawled in after him. Selina was not in sight. They rushed to the bedroom only to find several hotel guests using the room as a hiding place. The guests screamed, thinking they were about to be killed. Shindo and Yomo found themselves stuck, standing in the middle of the sitting room when the masked mercenaries gathered at the open doorway. Their leader scowled at Shindo and barked, "Kill them!"

Then a maintenance hatch in the ceiling popped open and a lithe figure dropped into their midst. The figure spun around, knocking all three mercenaries off their feet with a sweep kick. In the same motion the figure fired a submachine gun at the Latin American hitmen at the other end of the hall. When the figure stopped shooting Shindo heard the bodies hit the floor. The three mercenaries scrambled back up onto their feet to get back into action only to get knocked out of action with Judo blows to the back of the head. Once the fighting stopped, Shindo could get a good look at who had saved them.

The person was a woman dressed in black—black silk blouse, skirt, nylon stockings and a hat with a veil to hide her face. She peeled off her hat and wiped her sweaty forehead with her gloved hand. The person was none other than Selina Salno. She looked as sultry as ever.

"Your Highness!" Yomo rushed to her attention.

Shindo was jealous at how familiar they were with one another. But he had the decency to not let it show.

Selina stepped passed them with an air of authority and said to the hotel guests. "I apologize for the danger I have brought to you. You will be safe once we leave."

The guests bobbed their heads, although they looked unconvinced. There was still shooting going on outside.

Selina then turned to Shindo. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yamaguchi." To Yomo she said, "How soon until our transportation arrives?"

Yomo checked his watch. "Five minutes."

"Glad you thought ahead," Shindo said.

"I asked myself, what would Shindo do? I figured this is what you'd do."

Shindo gripped Yomo's shoulder to show that he was proud of him.

The two Japanese agents and Selgina's deposed queen headed out of the room. Another group of masked mercenaries were waiting for them at the end of the corridor. Their leader spoke into a headset. "They are here. I see them now." After a pause he said, "Very good."

Shindo and his friends aimed their guns.

The mercenary leader laughed. "Don't worry," he said. "No more shooting. We leave you to the helicopters. Alavidā!"

The mercenaries vacated the corridor. Four Mil-24 Hind gunships came roaring toward the hotel. The Hinds were also known as "flying tanks". The aircraft was bullet proof. Their armaments included four S-8 80mm rocket pods, anti-tank missiles, and a chin-mounted 12.7mm YakB machinegun.

"Quick!" Yomo yelled. "To the roof!"

The Hinds surrounded the hotel and unloaded their rocket pods at the first floor and methodically worked their way up the sides of the building. The stairs shuddered under their feet as Shindo and his friends rushed to the roof. Once they reached the top, Yomo searched the sky. He checked his watch. Worry etched his brow. Shindo had a feeling their ride was going to be late.

Without mercy, the gunships kept punching the crippled hotel with their rockets. The roof lurched to the side. The building was starting to crumble. It was like being trapped on a sinking ship.

Then a UH-1 Huey helicopter rose up into view. It belonged to Faora. Shindo could tell because her portrait was emblazoned on the tail. The portrait was rendered in Anime style with her fingers giving the "V" for victory sign. Shindo climbed aboard and took the co-pilot seat next to Faora while Yomo and Selina hopped into the back. Before they could buckle in, Faora pulled away from the hotel. In the same breath, the hotel collapsed into rubble. A gray cloud of dust rolled across the parking lot.

Faora gave Shindo a reassuring smile that he was in good hands then focused on getting them out of the city.

Shindo quickly fastened the straps and put on a headset so he could talk to her over the noise of the rotor.

The Hinds veered around and pursued them over the rooftops. Faora squeezed between the high rises, dove under the overpasses, swung around massive resorts and then dove back into the streets, coming low enough to scrape the paint off the motor vehicles. Nothing she did deterred the Hinds. If the spaces were too small, they rose over the obstacles and fired down at her from above. Streams of armored-piercing bullets zinged past the chopper, glowing like bits of orange flame. The streams ripped up the pavement below and kicked up columns of dirt. One stream struck a gas station up ahead. A fireball erupted in their path. Shindo shielded his eyes against the flash. The explosion boomed in his ears. Not even the noise of the helicopter's engine could muffle it. The concussion punched him in the chest. Faora bulldogged her way through the fireball. Smoke filled the cabin. Its smell hung in the air well after the smoke cleared. The Hinds passed the roiling carnage, guns blazing.

"I am going to need you boys to man the 60s," Faora said. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, toward the two M-60 machine guns which were mounted on either side of the cabin.

"Not over a populated area," Shindo countered.

Faora pursed her lips in frustration. "Someone is going to be shot down over a populated area. It's going to be either them or us."

"Head for the railroad track and follow it toward the southeast. I have an idea."

Faora followed his instructions. Reluctantly.

The fact the Huey was more agile was the only thing keeping them alive. They made it out of the city and over the green plains, following the track. Here there were no obstacles to block line of sight. Faora had to crank even harder on the stick to keep the Huey from getting hit. Her arm tired under the strain. A stream of bullets ripped through the cabin and rattled throughout the compartment. Selina yelped in fright. A round pierced Shindo's seat, nicked his shoulder and punched out the windshield. It all happened so fast he didn't feel the burn from the bullet grazing his flesh until a minute afterward. Miraculously, the impact struck the windshield with enough force to blow the glass clear away from the chopper.

"My fault!" Faora called out. "Is everyone all right?"

"We're good!" Yomo called back over his headset.

"There!" Shindo directed Faora's attention toward the tribe of Gargantuas that had marched through the city. "Buzz their heads. Fly over the length of the entire column."

Faora dove for the Gargantuas. The Hind pilots, who could care less about the Gargantuas, resumed fire at the Huey. Their shots pelted the beasts, whipping the monsters into a frenzy. Once the Huey passed, the Gargantuas pulled back to throw their spears at the oncoming Hinds. The Hind pilots were too focused on the Huey to be aware that they had fallen under attack until the spears smashed through the bullet-proof canopies. The Hind gunships spun out of control and crashed out in the fields. The Gargantuas roared in victory, shaking their fists in the air. Faora turned the Huey around and flew back over the field to be sure all of the Hinds were accounted for. There were four wrecks on the ground, burning nicely.

"Where is our next stop?" Shindo asked.

"There is an airstrip in the foothills of the Himalayas," Yomo answered. "That's where Faora has parked her plane. After we touch down we'll rest until nightfall then board up and fly into Selgina."

"Are you thinking parachutes?"

"Yes. We'll drop in near the palace. Her Highness is sure Hopto would keep the kaiju repeller there."

"And what about you, Your Highness?" Shindo asked Selina Salno.

"I will go with you." Selina's gaze glinted like steel. She had every intention of liquidating Hopto.

"You are well trained in self-defense," Shindo acknowledged, "but you can't retake your country on guts alone. I have a friend in the Indian high command. I am sure I can talk him into loaning us a battalion of Ghurkas. All we need is your permission."

"Granted," Selina said. "Before we leave I will contact my retainers. My country is small. All we need to do is retake the palace and Selgina will be free."

Shindo nodded in satisfaction.

"Where are you going to rendezvous with these Ghurkas?" Faora asked. "It's not going to be at my airstrip. It'll be useless if the authorities find out about it."

"Don't worry," Shindo assured her. "Your confidentiality takes top priority. Even over saving the world," he added sarcastically.

"It better!"

Faora and Shindo gave each other sidelong glances.

xxx

Meanwhile, Goro, Kyoko, and Carl had journeyed ashore to Krakatoa in the hovercraft to plant the explosives in strategic areas in Rakata, or the Eye of Krakatoa, which would induce eruption. They had received advice from a volcanologist about the right amount. Too few would do nothing, whereas too many could cause a near-extinction level event worse than the plague it was to eradicate.

"How are we doing for time?" Kyoko asked Goro.

"I would say we have thirty minutes before those mongrels descend on the island. At least according to Jet Jaguar's last scouting report."

"Damn. We're cutting it closer than I would like," Carl said and wiped the sweat off of his brow.

As Kyoko placed the last of the explosives she could hear a massive roar of fighter jets. "Are we expecting anyone else?" she looked at Carl.

"No, the area is supposed to be off limits," he answered.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Goro muttered.

The roaring grew louder. Goro looked to the sky and realized what Dr. Who had meant when he said Goro didn't know all of this robot's surprises. In the sky, sporting a jetpack was the airborne form of Mechanikong II.

"Well, I see our old friend has made some improvements to his toy," Carl said, clearly irritated.

The giant robot landed in the crater with a massive thud. Carl, Kyoko and Goro covered their faces from the huge cloud of dust created by the jets.

"What should we do?" Kyoko yelled.

"If I know Dr. Who, he's going to want to gloat before he kill us," Carl said and then tried to radio his submarine. "Nelson, to _Explorer,_ come in!" After a moment of static Carl deducted the robot must be jamming his connection.

"What's wrong?" Kyoko asked.

"The robot, it's jamming my transmissions!" he yelled over the roar of the robot's jets.

When the dust cleared, the service door in the robot's left foot opened and out stepped Dr. Who, still looking calm and composed despite seething with rage on the inside. He regarded his old friend. "Carl Nelson, fancy meeting you here."

"I knew I was too lucky to have you out of my life for good," Carl said to his nemesis.

"Are you here to stop us, Dr. Who?" Kyoko asked.

The doctor flashed an evil grin. "No, on the contrary, I am here to help you. In fact, I brought an even bigger bomb."

 **Chapter 11: Destroy All Gargantuas**

"What, no thank you?" Dr. Who said as he stood before them, looking very much like a villain in an Italian Western preparing for his final duel. "I intercepted your radio transmissions and overheard your brilliant plan. If I'm not mistaken the Gargantuas should be arriving any moment."

"Why are you doing this? Don't you know what a bomb of that magnitude will do?" Kyoko demanded.

"I know exactly what it will do, plunge the world into utter darkness under the cloud of volcanic ash for years to come."

"But why, Who?" Carl asked.

"Because you have taken everything from me, Carl. You have no idea what I had tied up in Heard Island. Nearly all of my assets. Now everything is gone."

"We ruin your retirement and you decide to destroy the world?" Kyoko said empathetically.

"No, I plan to rebuild it. After I destroy it of course."

"But how do you plan to survive, that would kill you, too?" Goro finally spoke, hoping to appeal to Who's sense of logic.

"Would it, Goro? You studied Frankenstein the same as me." Who cocked his brow hinting at secrets Goro didn't know. "Come with me and we can rebuild the world in our image. A perfect utopia of science and technology without bickering nations to restrain our endeavors."

"You're mad," Kyoko muttered in disbelief.

"So what is it, Goro? The clock is ticking."

"I'd say no, Dr. Who." Goro took Kyoko's shoulder to make it clear just whose side he was on.

Dr. Who stared at Goro intently, grinding his jaw slightly. After a moment he said, "Then so be it. You can die with your friends."

Carl held up a gun to the doctor. "Sorry to tell you, Dr. Who, but you're in no position to make any demands."

"I'm not?" Who raised an eyebrow. "Mechanikong!" he shouted and the ape pointed its fist directly at Carl.

Carl sighed and lowered his weapon. Just then the island shuddered with a thump. And then another. And another.

"That's the sound of hundreds of kaiju coming to this little island, Who. Still sure you want to stay?" Nelson said.

"And miss the fight? Not for anything in the world." Who smiled and marched up the edge of the crater to look down below at the hundreds of Gargantuas approaching the island while his cape billowed in the wind. "It should be fascinating. A battle the likes of which earth has never witnessed before."

"Should we try to escape?" Kyoko whispered now that his back was turned.

"No," Goro whispered back. "He has the robot's motion sensors trained to us. If we bolt we'll get smashed."

"We'll just have to wait for the right moment," Carl said, "be patient."

Down on the beach, Hoorka and Hiska shook the water from their soaking fur as they stepped foot onto the rocky land and scanned the island. It was too warm for their tastes. Nor did they see any flames or billowing smoke. Perhaps this Sunda was a liar? Hoorka thought.

 _I see nothing_. Hoorka hissed angrily. _Where is this Sunda?_

 _Have faith_ , Hiska said, _this island is a holy place. He will reveal himself in time._

 _And what of the bird?_ Hoorka asked and looked to Rodan, still tangled in a web of rope.

Hiska replied, _When Sunda appears, we will make an offering out of him. Surely that will be pleasing_.

As the Gargantuas went ashore to explore they were fascinated to see more of their kind arrive. Different tribes from different nations, it was amazing. Their leaders, too, had heard the call of Sunda and now they awaited the god's wondrous arrival.

When booming footsteps could be heard in the distance they all looked to one another and asked the same thing: _Could this be Sunda?_

Hoorka was not so sure. He squinted and in the air could see more of the flying reptiles high in the clouds. Beneath them was the giant reptile he had battled on the island—the same monster that had seared his lips with his fiery dorsal plates and scarred Hoorka's mouth.

 _It is the reptile tribe!_ He screamed. _Everyone, prepare for battle!_

 _Did Sunda call them, too?_ Some asked.

 _This is a holy place, it must be defended!_ Hiska yelled.

Godzilla walked from the ocean onto the beach and roared to announce his presence to the army of monsters. Beside him was a spiky quadruped Hoorka was unfamiliar with, and in the sky above them circled more of the birds, likely the kin of their captured prey.

Godzilla recognized Hoorka as well. He could tell because of the creature's deformed mouth. Part of the lips were burnt off, giving him a perpetual snarl. He had grown to match Godzilla's size since he had last laid eyes on him and was clearly the leader. Even the Gargantuas from other tribes recognized him as their king. All eyes were on him as the two monster tribes eyed each other in fear and suspicion.

Hoorka spoke first, _What are you doing here? You trespass on our territory._

Godzilla roared, _We came for our ally. Release him._

 _We outnumber you!_ Hoorka hissed at him and raised his fist in the air. _You are in no position to make demands._

Hiska added in, _You are trespassing on Holy Land!_ _Soon we will feast upon your flesh!_

 _If you are so confident then free our ally so that he may fight with his tribe!_ Godzilla roared back. _Unless you are afraid_.

As Godzilla kept the Gargantua king distracted in banter, unbeknownst to the hairy beasts, Jet Jaguar had used his small stature to sneak into the Gargantua encampment to Rodan's location. The giant Pterosaur was shocked to see a brightly colored metal man crawling up his chest. _Don't worry, I am a friend of Godzilla's_ , the little robot communicated to him. _Don't be shocked by what is about to happen. I am here to free you_. Rodan wanted to cackle in amusement, but when the tiny man grew so rapidly that he burst through Rodan's ropes he thought perhaps he was hallucinating! Frightened at the sudden appearance of the robot, the Gargantuas backed away in fear at this mysterious magic while Rodan shot into the sky as swiftly as a jet fighter.

Hoorka looked behind him to see what had happened. The rage emanating from his body was palpable. Hoorka turned back to Godzilla, roared and flung his fist into the air signaling the Gargantuas to run into battle.

Godzilla had fought many opponents. Rarely did he fear for his life, but he had simply never faced an enemy in such great numbers. The island shook at the thunder of a hundred giant running footsteps. He looked beside him, Anguirus and Jet Jaguar were at his right side and Rodan at his left plus his mate and brood, all prepared to fight. If Godzilla was to die, at least it would be beside friends. At the last instant the archosaurs saw a familiar form dart between them and the Gargantua army. Manda had slithered abruptly into their path tripping the unsuspecting first line of Gargantuas! And when the second line jumped over their tripped brethren two of them were met with a flying kick from Gorosaurus. Two more were plucked from the air by the flying form of Varan. The rest were sprayed in Kumonga's web.

Godzilla couldn't believe it, his friends had done what he had once done for a tiny outmatched larva many years ago. Though Godzilla wasn't sure he liked pity, he was happy to have the support of his fellow kaiju.

The third line of Gargantuas hesitated. There were new opponents at play, and these beasts weren't as overwhelmed by their numbers as they had thought. Hoorka stepped forwards past the ranks, now he would fight. _Perhaps the leaders should set an example, you and I, we fight_. Hoorka pointed to himself and then Godzilla.

Godzilla liked these odds. Perhaps if he could defeat the leader in one-on-one combat, the rest would surrender out of fear. Godzilla roared his affirmation and walked forwards. Hoorka stunned him with an uppercut to the jaw with the power of Kong! Godzilla fell backward and that was it. The beasts with their confidence reaffirmed ran for the dinosaurs and the giant spider while Hoorka launched himself on top of Godzilla.

The monster army held their own well, thanks in large part to the flying monsters constantly circling the group and picking off the oncoming Gargantuas and tossing them into the sky due to their smaller statures. However, due to their great numbers soon even the Rodans and Varan were overwhelmed. And the island actually shook at the first clash of the two monster armies.

"The kaiju will find the battle against my Gargantuas not as one-sided as their scuffle with King Ghidorah," Dr. Who said with a hint of pride. "Even your robot is getting in on the action Goro."

Godzilla launched Hoorka off of him and he hit the side of the volcano. Godzilla was soon rushed by his second in command, Hiska, but Godzilla saw him coming and picked up the smaller kaiju and hurled him into his chief.

Meanwhile Jet Jaguar and Manda found themselves encircled by a group of orange and red Gargantuas. One of the red ones became brave and sprinted forward, so Manda coiled himself around him instantly constricting him tight. When the others began to close in on them Jet Jaguar grabbed Manda by the tail and swung him in circles knocking down the approaching Gargantuas in his path.

High in the air Loki picked one up by the shoulder and flung him into the air. Stumpy joined in grabbing his feet while Hiro grabbed his shoulders and they tore him apart.

Kumonga had managed to tie up a large quantity of the beasts in his webbing. However, the beasts wouldn't stay there forever and began fighting their way out. Anguirus roared at the giant spider, "Watch this!" He got off to a running start, leapt into the air, and then rolled up into a ball and rolled his spiky shell across the great line of beasts caught in the webbing.

As for Rodan, now older and wiser grew tired of fighting one beast at a time. He spiraled high into the sky and then came soaring back down at maximum speed. At the last possible second he leveled himself out and created a sonic boom knocking over a whole horde of the beasts, a few of the lighter ones even blew into the air.

In the thick of the trees, Gorosaurus jumped onto his green opponent's back pinning him to the ground, and then taking the Gargantua's head into his mouth snapped its neck. Every beast he dismantled he pretended was King Kong. As another Gargantua rushed him he eyed Anguirus realized he had the perfect set-up for a maneuver he had always wanted to try. Gorosaurus performed his kangaroo kick on one Gargantua sending it careening into Anguirus's spiky shell. Blood splattered everywhere and Anguirus did not look the least bit pleased as he tried to shake the disgusting beast from his back. Gorosaurus began to guffaw but soon got struck in the face by a hairy fist. Now it was Anguirus's turn to laugh.

Godzilla kept up his struggle with Hoorka and Hiska. He had learned his fiery breath was his greatest deterrent to keep them at bay, but his lungs were aching and he didn't know how many blasts he had left in him. Likewise, Hoorka was growing tired, and angry, and not just at Godzilla, but at this mysterious Sunda as well. What Hiska had said must be true. Sunda was making them fight the reptiles to prove their worth to him. Hoorka decided then he would prove his worth by hauling Godzilla's carcass up to the summit. And when he achieved Sunda's favor, he would kill him.

Hiska heaving to catch his breath, huddled to his side momentarily. They eyed Godzilla, the beast was getting tired too. They could see it. _We must use our brains to defeat this beast, our strength is not enough_.

 _How?_ Hoorka asked but then Godzilla heaved another round of his atomic breath at them. They both tucked and rolled out of the way.

 _Pretend to retreat,_ Hiska grunted _, and I will distract him so you can attack from behind._

Hoorka, being partly human thanks to the Frankenstein monster, did not like the idea of appearing weak. But, deception had its merits. There was pride in out-thinking an inferior animal. He nodded his head. When Godzilla's next blast hit him on the back, Hoorka screamed and ran off into the foliage. Godzilla cackled, Kong had been weak when it came to his flame breath, too.

Now his second in command was down on his knees, recoiling from Godzilla in fear. Godzilla stomped towards him, he would squash the smaller monster beneath his feet. _Please, please, my master has abandoned me_ , Hiska pleaded, but Godzilla would show no mercy. Just as he was about to slam his foot down on the Gargantua it rolled out of the way and scampered past a rocky outcropping. _No, stop,_ Hiska pleaded. Godzilla lumbered before him and opened his jaws wide, planning to dispatch him in the old ways with his jaws.

From the rocky outcropping behind him, Hoorka launched himself at Godzilla and heaved a boulder at the back of Godzilla's skull with all of his might. It hit Godzilla with such impact it shattered, Godzilla fell forward, and as he did Hiska grabbed a spear he had hidden in the foliage, piercing it through Godzilla's leg as he fell. But Godzilla let out no shriek of pain, he was out like a light.

xxx

With an unconscious Godzilla by the tail, Hoorka and Hiska made their pilgrimage toward the summit of the island. If Sunda was anywhere, it would be there in the crater of the volcano.

"What a magnificent sight," Dr. Who said from the edge of the crater. "I wish I could watch the rest of the battle, but I think that is my cue to leave."

"Who, think about what you're about to do!" Carl called to him.

"Don't worry, Carl, soon the nightmare will be over." Dr. Who gave him a knowing smile, and then entered Mechanikong. Soon the ape's hand began to spin. "Jump!" Carl yelled thinking that they were all about to get pounded into the ground.

To their surprise, the giant robot didn't shoot its fist at them. Instead the robot plowed its massive hand into the ground. The spinning fist detached as it spun itself into the crater and a realization dawned on Goro: Who had implanted the bomb into the fist.

Soon they heard the doctor's booming voice over the loudspeakers. "I know you thought I planned to kill you. But instead I shall leave you with something far worse than death. The sliver of hope that you'll find a way to dismantle the bomb in time. The stress should be excruciating." Who laughed and with a final snide remark quipped, "Goodbye, old friends."

As Mechanikong took off the ground began to rumble. "The bomb is it…" Goro asked but let his words trail off. Out from the ground, faster than he had ever seen before, leapt Baragon, who sunk his teeth into the robotic ape's leg.

As he held him in place Frankenstein leapt from the edge of the crater and threw a gigantic spear into the robot's chest. When it failed to do anything he shook his fists in rage, let out a shriek, and jumped onto the ape grabbing it around the neck.

"How did they know to come here?" Carl asked, incredulous.

Goro smiled. "I should have known. Frankenstein naturally would respond to the same frequency as the Gargantuas!"

Goro was right. Frankenstein had heard the voice. Only he was intelligent enough to associate it with his time in captivity with Dr. Who. "But he isn't here to meet the imaginary Sunda, he's here to kill Who," Goro said as the monsters flew out of sight over the other side of the crater. "These monsters are smarter than we give them credit for."

While Dr. Who cursed him from inside of the control room, Frankenstein recognized the device that had blown off his hand several days earlier. He would give this creature a taste of its own medicine. In an intelligent maneuver, he ripped the pin from one of the grenades on his belt and then jumped off of the robot and hissed at Baragon to do the same.

When the grenade detonated, so did the rest, sending the robot careening into the ground with such force that Dr. Who was knocked unconscious. Baragon circled the giant ape suspiciously. It was easy to tell when a living being was dead. They bled. But not machines. Baragon approached Mechanikong tepidly and then bit into the creature's arm voraciously. When it didn't move he felt satisfied that it was dead.

 _Our enemy is dead_ , Baragon hissed to his new ally. Their common enemy destroyed, he wondered, what now? He looked to the fiery forest below, his brethren were battling the hairy humanoid monsters that somewhat resembled Frankenstein.

 _Come, join the fight against those hairy beasts with me and my brethren_ Baragon said to him.

Frankenstein looked to the battlefield below him with sadness. Instinctively he knew the creatures were related to him in some way, though he didn't know how. He didn't dare fight them. But he also did not wish to fight against the tribe of his new ally. Frankenstein couldn't quite explain it, but there was something satisfying in making peace with one's enemy.

 _No, you go. I will stay here_ , he said sadly. Baragon bounded away without a word to go join his comrades. Once again, Frankenstein was alone.

The minute they had lost sight of the monsters Carl, Kyoko and Goro had begun examining the giant fist in befuddlement. They didn't even know where to begin as to how to disarm the bomb, from what they could see there was no opening. On the outside a large timer was counting down the minutes, and they had approximately four and a half left. Carl looked at Goro. "Ibuki, you're more of a mechanics whiz than I am."

"And I thought you were the original designer of Mechanikong."

"Yes, the original, not this new monstrosity."

"We can't get inside of this thing. It's impossible to penetrate! Besides, I don't have the right equipment." Goro said. "But, Jet Jaguar should be able to carry it away from the crater."

"Yeah, and we need to get out of here before our own explosives detonate," Kyoko said.

Goro grabbed his communicator from around his neck. "Jet Jaguar, quit messing around with those monsters and get up here. We need help, and fast!"

Jet Jaguar looked to Manda who had his jaws stretched open wide over a terrified Gargantua's head, and apologized. He had to go. As he flew over the crater he saw Godzilla being drug up the mountain by two of the creatures. He wanted to stop and help him, but protecting his creator came first.

Jet Jaguar's giant form landed in the crater. Goro wasted no time and yelled, "Jet Jaguar, this is a bomb, you need to fly it and us out of here ASAP!"

Jet Jaguar did as he was told and scooped the humans up along with Mechanikong's fist and flew towards Pulua Sertung, another island adjoining Krakatoa where no monsters roamed. As he did so, Frankenstein, who had noticed a giant human flying from the crater, decided to go and investigate.

When he arrived the giant metal man was long gone. As he watched it disappear into the night he could hear footsteps, something was coming.

xxx

In Selgina, at the royal palace, the corpulent Chairman Salno sat in the back of the control room overseeing the activity. President Hopto paced up and down the room. He paused to look up at the monster battle on the main view screen, shook his head, and resumed pacing.

"Sit down!" the chairman said. His tone was sharp.

Like a well-trained dog, Hopto took a seat next to the chairman's.

"Things are getting too complicated," he said. Taking out a handkerchief, the Selginan president mopped the sweat from his brow. "The UN can countermand our orders with their own kaiju controller."

Chairman Salno scowled at him and then called out to the technicians, "Where are we at? Can we resume control of the Gargantuas?"

The chief tech spun his chair around from his control panel. "We can resume control at any time. However, these are thinking creatures. Too many people have been telling them that they are the voice of God. Dr. Who claimed to be a god. We claimed to be a god. Now whoever drew the Gargantuas to Krakatoa also claimed to be gods. Put too many voices into the Gargantuas' heads and you will get skepticism. Doubt. Before you know it we will create the first kaiju atheists. If that happens, then the Gargantuas will ignore everyone's control signals. They will run wild across the planet."

Hopto drew in his breath.

The chairman gave the president another dirty look then issued an order. "The Kilaaks used their controller to override the kaijus' will. They didn't try to 'talk' the monsters into attacking cities. Our controller is a copy of the Kilaak's machine. We will do the same thing. Override their will. I want our tribes back on our borders. Now!"

"If I may interject, chairman," the tech said, "brute force may backfire on us. Dr. Who said the Gargantuas are not too far removed from humans. They are willful and stubborn. Forcing them to act against their will could make them resistant to not only our signals, but to everyone's. Then we are back to the problem of the Gargantuas running wild. However, they are susceptible to propaganda, deceit, and manipulation, just like the human population. Give my crew time to create the right argument and the Gargantuas will return willingly."

"Give them time," Hopto said. "We can always generate more Gargantuas if we lose the ones we've got."

Chairman Salno nodded in satisfaction. "True. We can always make more. Proceed."

The chief tech swiveled back to his control panel.

Rogan then entered the room followed by Malnek, who had picked him up at the airport. Rogan had been in such a hurry to report back from New York City, he had not had time to freshen up. His suit was wrinkled and his hair unkempt.

"Mr. President, Chairman," he said breathlessly, "I assume you have already heard the news."

"Yes," Hopto said. "The United Nations Secretary-General found out about the sale of Gargantua cells. Maria Canessa is under arrest. We knew this was going to happen. At least this problem will be under control. Once the press uncovers how many members of the UN are involved there will be too many guilty parties to prosecute. The United Nations is like the international banks. It is too big to fail. We will escape notice."

"Then you have not heard the news." Rogan set down his briefcase and unbuttoned his suit coat. "Selina Salno is alive!"

Chairman Salno and Hopto shot up in their seats, shocked.

"Yes," Rogan confirmed. He swept back his coat, putting his hands on his hips. "Your niece was the one who ratted me out to the secretary-general."

He talked as though it was the chairman's fault that Selina was still alive. This fact became like a hot potato. Chairman Salno tossed it to Malnek.

"You told me you had killed her."

"I did," Malnek stated. "She is dead. Unless…"

Chairman Salno, Hopto, and Rogan stared at the master assassin, waiting for the drawn out pause to end.

"Well?" Hopto piped up.

"I planted the bomb in the elevator at the Salno Children's Hospital," Malnek said. "We have dozens of witnesses confirming the fact she had entered the elevator with her security. We still have the camera footage. We saw for ourselves the bomb explode with her in it. However, remember the flash of light that appeared seconds before the actual time the bomb was supposed to explode? We assumed the timer on the bomb had ran out sooner than expected. What if the rumors were true? What if she is being protected by an extra-terrestrial spirit? What if that light was that spirit?"

"Superstitious nonsense!" Chairman Salno growled.

"I-if this is true there is nothing we can do," Hopto sputtered. "She is in effect indestructible!"

Chairman Salno rolled his eyes at the president. "Rogan, where is my niece now?"

"She is with a Japanese secret agent. His name is Yomo Kuta."

"She is India," Malnek clarified. He handed Chairman Salno an intelligence report from the Assassin's Guild. "I received this when we got back to the palace. Her Japanese protector booked a room for them at the Royal Sarovar Portico Hotel in Siliguri. The Uruguayans hired a company of Pakistani mercenaries to wipe her out. She escaped."

Hopto got his handkerchief back out to wipe the fresh sweat on his brow.

"She is going to try to reclaim her throne," Chairman Salno said. "Count on it. Malnek, Selina still has loyalists in the military and the parliament. Liquidate them. I am counting on you, Malnek. Kill my niece. No more bombs. Use blades. Cut off her head and bring it to me. Let's see if her alien friends can resurrect a corpse!"

"It shall be done." Malnek saluted and left the control room.

"Now what's going on here?" Rogan examined the main view screen. "The news is blathering about a monster battle on Krakatoa."

The chief technician explained the situation. The images on the view screen were the thoughts of Hoorka, the chief of the Hoorka tribe. The images were fuzzy, a mix of what could be seen through Hoorka's eyes and ideas he had on how to fight Godzilla. There was a fuzzy image of an orange light cloaked in black smoke. "This is the god Sunda," the tech chief pointed at the image with his pen. "He believes this god had called him to Karatoa Island to grant his tribe a blessing. We are trying to come up with a good reason why he and the rest of the Gargantuas can return to their territories."

"Is that all?" Rogan squeezed his way through the techs and stood beside their copy of the Kilaak Controller. "Hand me the mike. I will give them a reason."

The technicians adjusted the dials so Rogan could speak to the entire host of Gargantuas.

"This is Sunda, your god," Rogan said with magnificent flourish. "You fought well. This battle is your blessing. My dragons have stripped the weak from your tribes so you, the strong will bear offspring. Strong offspring. Offspring that will survive famine and weather harsh winters and scalding summers. Your seed shall spread throughout the Earth. They shall be invincible. That is my gift I give unto you. Now return home. Be fruitful and multiple. Sunda has spoken."

xxx

Though they had killed many of the Gargantuas, the kaiju from Monsterland were growing weary, there were simply too many to defeat. One had his hand on Rodan's neck, choking the life out of him while Rodana clawed at his back trying to tear him off of her mate. Just when all hope seemed lost, the Gargantua released his grip. In fact, all of the Gargantuas ceased fighting and looked again to the sky. It was the same calling they used to hear, urging them to return to their homeland.

The monsters watched in wonder as they all suddenly began shuffling for the beach. _We've won!_ Gorosaurus roared in triumph, not understanding what was going on. But soon the other kaiju joined in his jubilation. They had driven away the enemy!

Rodana remembered what Jet Jaguar had said about the island. _We need to leave before the volcano erupts!_ She chirped. The Rodans knew something of the dangers of an active volcano. The monsters ran for the sea, while the flying ones took for the air.

Hoorka and Hiska had heard the call too. Hiska had suggested they turn back, but Hoorka said, _No, we_ will confirm the existence of this Sunda!

What if we are punished? Hiska asked, always in fear.

This angered Hoorka. _He will be honored when we show him our tribute. Come, I am through listening to Sunda's voice, I will look upon his face._

Though afraid, Hiska felt an undeniable need to meet his creator, even if it meant punishment. He would continue with Hoorka. Though it took every ounce of strength they had to resist the calling, they finally stepped over the crest of the crater. They couldn't believe their eyes. Their faith had been rewarded for there in the crater stood Sunda.

 **Chapter 12: Eruption**

Hoorka instinctively knew he sprang from this very creature he called Sunda. The creature that was before him was Frankenstein. To a Gargantua, Frankenstein's human form was more beautiful than they could ever hope to be. Hiska immediately bowed down, and tugged on Hoorka's hand encouraging him to do the same. Hoorka dropped Godzilla's tail and walked towards Frankenstein in disbelief. Even his own hatred and mistrust was starting to slip away.

 _You…you created us. You are father?_ Hoorka looked to this new being with curiosity.

Frankenstein nodded. _Yes, you are born of my body._

 _We have brought you an offering_ , Hiska said, his head still bowed.

Frankenstein shook his head. _Let that poor creature go, I do not desire war with the reptiles. One of them is my ally. They can be yours as well if you would just try. Peace is better than war._ At that moment Hoorka's infatuation then turned to hate. He wanted to kill Godzilla. Though Hoorka didn't know the word for hypocrite, that was what he thought of Frankenstein who he still mistook for Sunda.

 _You dare ask me to make peace with my enemies?_ Hoorka hissed. _Do you know how many of our kind they have killed?_

Hiska, in horror, raised his head up and tugged at Hoorka's leg, _No, we must obey. He is Sunda, we must_ —

In a fit of blind rage Hoorka grabbed Hiska's head in his hand and snapped his neck. _No, from now on, I only obey Hoorka_. He began walking towards Frankenstein. Frankenstein shook his head and backed away. _No, peace, I only want peace_. Why was life so cruel? Finally, another of his kind and he was filled with only hate and rage for him. Hoorka launched himself at him, and the final battle began.

xxx

Once they were set safely on Pulua Sertung Kyoko asked, "Is this thing far enough away from the crater?"

"I'm not sure. For all we know Who has a nuke in here. Jet Jaguar, you better fly this thing away fast."

"There's no time," Goro said. "He can't fly it far enough away and escape the blast radius in time." Goro knew his robot's flight capabilities well. Kyoko put her hand on his shoulder. Just then Jet Jaguar let out a chirp and gave them a thumbs up.

Goro looked up to Jet Jaguar. "Jet Jaguar, do you know what this means?"

Jet Jaguar nodded. But then he did something that none of them expected. He began to shrink, only he didn't stop once he reached the size of a human, he kept going until he disappeared from sight.

"What happened?" Kyoko asked.

"That cunning devil!" Carl said and slapped Goro on the back. "He's smarter than all of us!"

"I never thought…if he can grow himself larger than he can also shrink!"

"Can he disarm it?" Kyoko asked.

"We'll find out." Goro said.

As Jet Jaguar had shrunk smaller and smaller he had found a small opening, invisible to the naked eye, that he was able to fly through. There, inside the giant fist, he found the bomb. Being a machine himself, Jet Jaguar was able to recognize the crucial parts of another machine. Like any other bomb, it required a detonator, and without it, it would be rendered harmless. Jet Jaguar detached it from the inner workings, then clutched it to his chest. As he prepared to grow, he was startled to find how much effort it took. Like he had done before in Ogasawara, he was beginning to lose his power after so much exertion.

Outside, Goro could hear some sort of commotion within the fist. He feared it was about to explode, but hoped it was Jet Jaguar.

"Everyone stand back," he shouted just as Jet Jaguar burst from the hard metal like a Jack-in-the-Box.

"He did it!" Kyoko exclaimed and then pecked Goro on the cheek, taking him by surprise. Jet Jaguar turned and threw the detonator far away into the ocean depths. Goro went to put his hand on Jet Jaguar's shoulder but immediately tore it away out of reflex. He was sizzling hot. And he was smoking.

"Jet Jaguar, you're about to overheat. For your own good, you're done. Carl radio your sub to pick us up, I don't even think he can fly us out of here."

Jet Jaguar turned and pointed to Krakatoa.

"Godzilla and the rest can take care of themselves." Goro said.

Jet Jaguar shook his head. Goro could tell what he was saying: _I have to go back for Godzilla, he is my friend._ And with that the robot shot into the air.

"Jet Jaguar, come back!" Goro yelled. He feared it would be the last time he ever saw him. Kyoko gripped his shoulder as they watched the robot fly into the night sky.

xxx

When Godzilla awoke he couldn't believe it. One of the beasts had run a spear through his hip all the way down his leg. With a great deal of effort, he dislodged it and then tried to stand but he couldn't. He was helpless. He looked around his surroundings in a daze. Next to him lay the dead form of Hiska, and in the crater Hoorka battled what looked to be another of his kind, only more humanoid. For some reason he couldn't quite figure out, Godzilla felt sorry for the human-monster.

As they grappled about the crater it looked as though Frankenstein defended himself with reluctance, not hatred. Hoorka had him pinned to the ground. In a vicious move, he grabbed Frankenstein's arm and ripped it from the socket. Frankenstein screamed in pain and as he did Godzilla fired his ray at Hoorka's head in reaction to what he had just seen. In his weakened state Godzilla should have played dead, but he could not watch one of his enemies tear another monster apart.

Hoorka shrieked with rage and then stood. He wiped the blood from his face and pointed to Godzilla. _Now, I will end you._

Godzilla needed to think fast. In his immobile state, Hoorka could skewer him with ease. Godzilla looked around his surroundings. Instantly he had an idea. Godzilla had been hit with enough artillery over the years to recognize a bomb when he saw one, and the little packages lining the crater were most certainly bombs. He remembered what Jet Jaguar said about destroying the monsters by fire. As Godzilla opened his maw to fire Hoorka tensed up, but then was surprised when Godzilla directed his fire behind him instead letting it streak harmlessly across the crater.

Hoorka cocked his head. _Stupid reptile, you've missed._

Just then the crater erupted in a series of violent explosions and the island began to shake. Hoorka couldn't believe it, it was the fire and smoke that Sunda had spoken of. This still would not stop him from killing his prey though. Even if the flames consumed him, he would kill Godzilla. He walked towards him, spear in hand, when suddenly the tiny metal man flew in his path.

Jet Jaguar positioned himself squarely between Godzilla and the Gargantua King and poised himself to grow once more. But Goro was right. His energy was gone!

 _Why aren't you growing?_ Godzilla roared to his ally.

Hoorka stood before Jet Jaguar and laughed. And then so swiftly that Jet Jaguar couldn't even react scooped him up in his mighty hand, opened his jaws wide and swallowed him whole. He looked at Godzilla with a prideful sneer who responded with another blast at Hoorka's face.

But this time he was too fast. He rolled to the side and then leapt onto Godzilla, piercing his spear through Godzilla's right hand pinning it to the ground. _I have defeated Sunda. Soon I will defeat you!_ Hoorka yelled at Godzilla. He put his hand to the wounded monsters throat and squeezed. Godzilla tried to fire his atomic breath but the beast was squeezing too tight. He would choke to death soon. Godzilla grabbed for anything he could. He grasped something fleshy and poised himself to hit the Gargantua king with it. It was Frankenstein's severed arm! Godzilla reeled the dead limb back preparing to smack Hoorka with it only to be shocked when the arm proceeded to punch Hoorka in the face multiple times. It was still alive!

As this happened the real thing jumped upon Hoorka's back, hooking his one good arm around Hoorka's neck. Hoorka stood and flung Frankenstein from his back and let out one more frightful rage-filled yell. But then Hoorka's hateful eyes began to take on a strange look of pain and confusion. He clutched his stomach and doubled over. An instant later he exploded into a shower of meat. In the spot where he once stood was the form of Godzilla's ally, Jet Jaguar.

Godzilla grunted his thanks to his friend and told him to hurry up, the lava was creeping closer to them and they needed to get out of here. Jet Jaguar began to walk towards him, but all did not seem well. His metal flesh seemed to be sizzling, but not from the heat of the volcano. Soon he collapsed beside Godzilla, the lights in his eyes going blank. Godzilla shook his robotic friend, now completely drained of power, so much so he was even unable to shrink back to his usual human size.

Frankenstein ran to his side. Though Godzilla would normally be tense with an unknown creature so close to him like this, as they said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and so Godzilla considered the new monster his ally. Godzilla indicated for Frankenstein to drag Jet Jaguar away from the crater. He grabbed the automaton from under the shoulders and drug him to the edge of the crater while Godzilla crawled up it using his arms and one good leg.

He was relieved to feel a rush of wind and glimpse Rodan's form land near Jet Jaguar. The Pteranodon had noticed Godzilla's absence and went looking for him.

 _Hurry!_ Rodan said, _I know volcanos and we don't have much time. I'll fly you out of here._

Godzilla looked at Jet Jaguar. Even though he was a machine, and not a living being like he and Rodan, he had risked his life for Godzilla. Somehow, even though he had no flesh or blood, this thing, this machine had a soul. _No_ , Godzilla grunted. _Fly him to safety first. Then come back to me._

There's no time Rodan began to argue but Godzilla cut him off. _No, he saved your life as well, you owe him as do I, now go!_

Rodan reluctantly gripped the robot's shoulders in his claws and took off for the skies. A life debt was a life debt.

As he watched Rodan fly off, he turned to Frankenstein. _Why aren't you saving yourself?_

The giant human shook his head with sadness. Though he spoke no words to him, Godzilla understood, he preferred death to his tormented existence. Suddenly something perked the monster's ears and he darted off into the night. Alone, Godzilla drug himself out of the crater away from the lava lapping at its sides. If Rodan did not return for him, then he had no other choice than to find a place to die.

xxx

Chairman Salno and President Hopto congratulated Rogan on a job well done. He had persuaded all the Gargantuas, but two, to begin heading back for their territories. Everything was going according to plan until the head of security rushed into the control room.

"Chairman," he spoke to Salno, making it clear who was in charge in an emergency, "we lost contact with the radar installations along our border with India."

Hopto jumped to his feet.

Chairman Salno had a hard time accepting the news. His expression switched back and forth from concern to disbelief. When he finally accepted the report he asked, "What do you mean we lost contact? Did the phone lines get cut?"

"Possibly."

"Send a runner in a jeep. Send an entire convoy of troops! Reestablish contact in any way you can then report back to me. And contact Civil Aviation. Tell them to ground all aircraft. Then get in touch with the Air Force. Their orders are to enforce a no-fly zone over the entire country until they hear from me."

"It shall be done, Chairman." The head of security left the room to carry out his orders.

"You know what this means," Hopto said, his voice rising in panic. "We are under attack. And if the invaders have taken our radar installations that means the invasion is coming by air, and if they are coming by air that means they are coming directly to us!"

"Calm yourself." Chairman Salno snapped his fingers and pointed at Hopto's empty chair, indicating that Hopto should sit back down.

Hopto refused. He loomed over the chairman, pressuring him to recognize the danger they faced.

"The President is correct," Rogan said. "The loss of the radar installations is a clear indication that the enemy is coming by air. The amount of air space between us and the Indian border equals 4000 square kilometers. Our air force is not large enough to patrol that entire area. A strike team can reach the palace before our fighter patrols can spot them."

"And you know who is coming, don't you?" Hopto yelled at Chairman Salno. "Your niece!"

Malnek stepped into the control room. "I have dispatched every assassin in the guild. They have wiped out the last of loyalists in the parliament and the army. There is no one left above the rank of colonel who will swear allegiance to the crown. I have also taken the liberty to purge the courts and the police. By tomorrow morning, there will be no one left with any influence who can help Selina Salno."

xxx

Shindo and Yomo were on their way to the Selginan royal palace aboard an HAL utility helicopter. Selina Salno was also with them along with a squad of Ghurkas. The operation got off to a bad start. The original intent was to rely on the Selginan army to disable the radar installations on the border and use the Ghurkas to take the palace, but they were unable to reach any of the senior officers in the Selginan military who were loyal to Selina. Neither could they reach the members of parliament who still recognized Selina as the rightful ruler of Selgina.

They did get in radio contact with a major in the Third Division. He said his division commander had been arrested along with the commander's staff. Rumors were flying through the ranks on what happened. Shindo had a good idea of what happened. The Uruguayan intelligence must have told Selina's uncle that they had failed to kill her. Now he was cleaning housing, wiping out the people they needed to put Selina back on the throne.

Worse yet, India refused to provide more troops. Shindo begged General Bikram Kapoor, his friend in the Indian high command, for more troops. "You have to understand, General, I thought I was going to have the Selginan army. Now I have nothing."

"I am sorry," Kapoor had said over the phone. "You asked for one battalion, one battalion is all you are going to get. My government does not want to risk getting into a protracted war with Selgina. You see how it is?"

Nevertheless, the operation proceeded. The Ghurka battalion, minus one platoon, seized the radar installations on the border. The platoon boarded five HAL helicopters and were now flying over the Himalayas. It was dusk. The waning sun cast a melancholy glow on the horizon. Below, the valleys were shrouded in shadow.

"How much further have we to go to the palace?" Shindo asked the pilot.

"Another two hundred and seventy kilometers. We should be over the palace in ninety minutes."

Ninety minutes. A lot could go wrong in ninety minutes.

Shindo asked Selina to join him at the back of the helicopter where no one could overhear them speak.

"Your Highness, people said you had the power to prophesy, is this a power you can summon at will?"

Selina smiled. She understood his feelings. He was worried. "No. I am not a prophetess. The spirit that possessed me had the power to prophesy. When it left I lost that power."

"Can you summon the spirit?"

Selina shook her head.

"The spirit saved your life twice," Shindo said. "It must have some vested interested in your survival. So it should be willing to warn us if we are going fail. If we know what's coming I can maximize our chance for success."

"The spirit saved my life so I could warn the world about King Ghidorah. It saved me again so I could do my part in stopping my uncle from spreading the Gargantua plague. Don't you see? The spirit is only interested in saving the world. Not one kingdom. We are on our own, Mr. Yamaguchi."

"Shindo!" Yomo called from the front of the helicopter. "Enemy fighter patrol! They spotted us."

Shindo rushed to the front of the helicopter. He spotted two fighters swinging into his field of view. Their helicopters were painted in civilian markings as medical relief. Hopefully it would be enough to dissuade the fighter pilots from shooting them down.

xxx

In the control room at the Selginan palace, Chairman Salno asked the security chief for a report.

"All commercial and passenger flights are grounded, Chairman. The skies are clear."

"Good!" Salno grunted in contempt at Hopto.

Hopto sighed in frustration. He still thought they had plenty to worry about.

"Wait a minute!" The security chief put his hand to his headset. "Fighter Patrol 6 reports that they have sighted five helicopters. Manufacturer: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Type: Dhruv. Classification: Utility. The markings indicate that they belong to the Red Cross."

"The Red Cross?" Chairman Salno scowled. "Do they have a scheduled flight path?"

"Checking now, Chairman." The security chief consulted his subordinates via his headset. "I can tell you this much. Their course will bring them here, to the palace."

Hopto bolted up straight in his seat. "It's your niece and those Japanese spies!"

"Shoot them down!" Rogan shouted.

"No!" Chairman Salno shot up his hand to halt the order from being issued to the fighter patrol. "The Assassin's Guild attempted to kill Selina twice with a planted bomb. That spirit whisked her away moments before they exploded. The spirit can do so again. No. I want those helicopters to land here at the palace. I want Selina captured alive so I can see her killed with my own eyes. Now, relax gentleman. This is what we are going to do."

xxx

The Selginan royal palace was built in 1649. Copper was poured into its stone foundation to reinforce it against earthquakes. It began its life as a chapel. A monastery was added in 1675. From there it expanded until it contained over a thousand rooms. Its sloping walls were white as snow. From a distance the palace looked like an ice cap atop the mountain. As one drew near, one could see the palace was composed of block-shaped structures with windows checkering the upper floors. The lack of ornamentation made the palace seem unassuming, even serene. Shindo was glad it had a flat roof, which would make it easy to land the helicopters.

For the moment, the skies were empty. The platoon leader, who was sitting next to Shindo, opened a channel to speak to the Ghurkas in the other choppers. "Listen up. The fighters did not interdict us, so you can bet Chairman Salno intends to deal with us at the palace rather than in the air. Expect a rough fight the moment we touch down. Over."

The platoon leader looked Shindo in the eyes. "Are you ready?"

Shindo gave him a wry smile.

Their breath curled before their faces. The air was crisp from the cold. At the palace, a mountain breeze blew a swirl of ice crystals off the roof. The ice particles sparkled like diamonds in the lights. Everything seemed peaceful, but the peace was just the calm before the storm.

Shindo checked his service pistol and kept his mind limber. He agreed with the platoon leader. Selina's uncle must know they were coming. He had the advantage of being able to start the fight at any time and in any fashion. It was Shindo's responsibility to be ready to react and take back the initiative.

The pilot slowed the helicopter, bringing them over a terrace up on the roof.

"Everyone on their feet," the platoon leader shouted.

The soldiers jumped from their seats. In one hand they gripped their assault rifles. With the other they gripped the hand holds. Their faces were grim.

Then a series of tracers streaked across the night sky and sliced through the chopper on the far left. Black smoke rolled from the chopper's wounds. It spun out of control and crashed on the terrace.

Shindo scanned the sky and spotted several A-H1 Cobra attack helicopters with Selginan markings. The waspish-looking machines must have had been waiting in the black recesses of the mountain. The rotor of his own aircraft made it impossible to hear them coming. The Cobras gunned down the helicopters carrying the Ghurkas. The Cobra gunners worked like surgeons, shooting the engines while being careful not to hit the crew compartment. Moments later his chopper fell under attack. The compartment shuddered. The rounds made a repetitious _Plink! Plink! Plink!_ sound as they pierced the chopper's thin metal skin. The engine coughed and whined. The whole world seemed to spin out of control. Shindo grabbed his seat. His muscles strained against the G-forces. Smoke filled the copter. His eyes stung. An acrid taste filled his mouth. A fire was consuming their vehicle. Shindo could not see the flames but he could feel the rising heat. Then the spinning chaos came to an abrupt stop as the helicopter crashed. Shindo tumbled out of the downed copter followed by Yomo, Selina and the soldiers.

"Welcome home, my darling niece!" Chairman Salno called out to them. He stood by the door leading into the palace. Hopto and Rogan flanked him. They wore winter coats. A servant in a bow tie and tails stood ready with a bottle of champagne and three glasses on a silver tray. The palace guards rushed forward, grabbing the guns from the bewildered Gurkhas and lining them up at the edge of the terrace.

"Hands up!" The palace guards motioned to the Ghurkas.

The Ghurkas complied.

Their weapons were piled up against the wall on the opposite side of the terrace. The palace guards also disarmed Shindo and Yomo.

Selina remained silent as the guards disarmed her, too. Her expression was filled with resentment. She directed it toward her uncle, who grinned like the proverbial cat that caught his canary.

"The Assassin's Guild has cleaned the parliament and the military of your loyalists," Chairman Salno said to his niece. "The only one left who can help you is your mysterious guardian angel. It saved you from the bomb that the Guild had planted aboard your plane. It saved you from the bomb that the Guild had planted inside the elevator in the Salno Children's Hospital. Let's see if this alien spirit can save you from the chopping block."

A member of the Assassin's Guild set a chopping block in the middle of the terrace. A second member placed a basket, large enough to contain a human head, beside the block. A third came out with an executioner's sword.

"Any last words?" the chairman asked.

Selina shook her head. She chose to hold onto her dignity.

Chairman Salno grunted in bemusement. "Let's observe a moment of silence, to give the spirit an opportunity to save its queen."

The palace guards clicked their heels together, threw back their shoulders and raised their chins in attention. The servant put his free hand behind his back and solemnly closed his eyes. Hopto and Rogan shivered in the cold, growing impatient. They did not care how this family spat unfolded so long as it unfolded quickly.

The breeze ruffled a lock of Selina's hair. Other than that, she remained still. Silence had a way of stealing the enemy's thunder. Her uncle grew bored and ordered the execution to proceed.

"What about us?" Shindo asked on behalf of Yomo and himself. His intent was to delay the execution.

"Speak again and you join the queen," Chairman Salno replied, "that is what is going to happen to you."

Shindo measured the distance with his eye from where he stood to the confiscated weapons. He could not reach them before being gunned down. He measured the distance to the guards. He could disarm one but the others stood close by. They could beat him to the ground with the butt of their guns. He could try lunging toward the chairman. But again, the distance was too great. There was nothing he could do. Their only hope was the spirit. Why did it not act? Was it that callous? Selina had been useful to it. Could it not save her and her alone? Did the whole world had to be in danger before it intervened?

Then Shindo realized something. It intervened only when there was no other way to save her. If this was true, if he was correct, then there still must be some means left that he had not noticed.

As the assassins escorted Selina before the chopping block, Shindo wracked his brains for ideas. He searched the terrace for some weapon, some object he could use to monkey wrench the execution. Was there something in his pockets he could use? No. How about a bluff? What could he say to get chairman to halt the execution? Nothing came to mind.

The assassins had Selina get down on her knees. They positioned her neck in the center of the block. She stared at the empty basket. The servant poured the champagne and distributed the glasses to the chairman, Hopto and Rogan.

Chairman Salno held up his glass to his coconspirators. "At last we will be rid of the Selginan royal family!"

"At last!" Hopto and Rogan cheered.

They clinked their glasses together in a toast and drank their champagne.

Selina's uncle then motioned to the executioner. "Proceed."

The executioner raised his sword.

Shindo drew in his breath.

Suddenly a voice yelled out, "Long live the queen!" All eyes turned toward the servant. He whipped his silver tray at the executioner. It soared like a discus and rebounded off the bridge of the executioner's nose with a crack of metal against bone. The blow knocked the executioner off his feet. The servant then smashed the bottle of champagne over the captain of the palace guard's head.

Pandemonium erupted. The Ghurkas charged the palace guards. The palace guards had their attention drawn to their stricken commander. By the time they could react the Ghurkas engaged them in hand-to-hand combat.

Shindo dove into the melee. He disarmed the executioner and killed him with his own sword. The executioner's assistants drew daggers, but they were impossibly outmatched. The sword gave Shindo a longer reach. He struck them down as each one tried to lunge at him.

Selina ducked under the swinging blades and for the confiscated guns, grabbed one, and threw it to the servant who trained it on the palace guard captain. Selina pulled the captain to his feet.

"I am your sovereign. Obey me and I will grant you amnesty."

"I will obey, your majesty," the captain said.

"Order your men to stand down."

The captain turned to his men who were fighting the Ghurkas. "Stand down! Stand down all of you!"

The fighting stopped.

"Get your guns," Selina ordered the Ghurkas. "Then all of you follow me. Where is Shindo?"

Blushing, Yomo pointed toward the door. "Shindo has already gone inside after your uncle."

Selina searched the terrace. Her uncle was gone. No surprise. So was Hopto and Rogan. "Your partner is not going to have a chance, not while Malnek is still at large."

"You tell him that," Yomo retorted.

xxx

Unlike everyone else, Shindo saw Selina's uncle and his two cronies duck inside the moment the servant swung into action. He would have had apprehended them by now if he didn't have the executioner team to liquidate.

The Salno royal palace had a similar layout to the Potala Palace in Tibet. At least, so he had been told. So far the passageways and galleries seemed familiar. He heard voices, to the right.

"To the control room."

It was the Chairman's voice.

Shindo passed through the entry way on the right and ended up at a landing overlooking the floor below. The chairman and his cronies were down there heading for a door. Seven guards were with them. Shindo stepped toward the staircase that lead down to the next level when a guard happened to look up and spot him.

"Up there!"

The other guards looked toward where the first guard pointed. All seven opened fired with their Chinese Type-59 assault rifles.

Shindo dropped to the floor. The balustrade took the brunt of the shooting. He shielded his eyes from the marble chips darting every which way. There was one thing he forgot to do when he chased after the chairman. Grab his gun from the pile of confiscated weapon up on the terrace. All he had was a sword and a dagger he had pocketed from the execution team.

He crawled away from the landing and got back on his feet. He heard another sound behind him. This time the bolt of an assault rifle being snapped back.

"Don't move," the guard who pulled back the bolt ordered.

Shindo noticed that he stood on the end of a throw rug. The rest of the rug trailed behind him. The guard stood on the other end of the rug. If he handled this situation with care…

"I will set my weapon down," Shindo held the sword out where the guard could see it, "slowly."

"Go ahead."

Shindo folded his knees, easing down to the floor. He set the sword down then drew his hand away slowly. When both hands were near the end of the rug, he leapt from the edge and pulled the rug out from under the guard who was standing behind him. The guard fell onto his back. Shindo drew the dagger and threw it at the guard's chest, hitting him in the heart. The guard died instantly.

The other seven came bounding up the stairs.

Shindo grabbed the Type-59 and hosed the top of the stairs with bullets. The guards bounded back down. Slapping in a fresh magazine, Shindo rushed to the landing. By then the guards had positioned themselves on the floor below and opened fire the moment he showed himself at the balustrade. He fell back under a shower of bullets. Grabbing the sword, he flung it over the railing, toward the guards. The guards dodged out of the away so it would not hit them. The pause in their fire gave Shindo the time he needed to hop on the stair railing and slide down to the floor below. He sprayed the guards on the way down, hitting all seven. Sliding off the railing, he paused. Selina had left a trail for him to follow earlier. Perhaps if he left a trail now she could find him—just in case something went wrong. He checked his pockets and found a deck of cards. Perfect.

Along the way he dropped a card until he found a closed door where he could hear Hopto and Rogan speaking. He took breath, kicked in the door, and rushed into the control room.

"Hold it! No one move!"

Hopto and Rogan looked at him in shock. Chairman Salno did not.

Malnek was waiting for Shindo off to the side of the door. He kicked the gun out of Shindo's hands. When Shindo turned to face him, Malnek delivered rapid blows to Shindo's stomach, head and neck. Within seconds, Shindo was reduced to bruised jelly.

"Put him in a chair and tie him up," Chairman Salno said.

Malnek followed his orders and tied up Shindo then sealed the door.

"Am I to be a hostage?" Shindo asked.

"If necessary," Chairman Salno said. "However, I doubt we will need you." He pointed at the various screens. "As you can see the Gargantuas are on their way back. The Monsterland kaiju are evacuating Krakatoa. But these," he turned a dial, bringing the Rodans up on the main view screen, "these we will use to reassert our authority. My niece will have a choice. Either she dies or we unleash the Rodans upon her people. She is a sweet girl. I know what her answer will be."

Upon the chairman's orders, the technicians used the Kilaak Controller to draw the Rodans toward Selgina. Rodan himself dropped Jet Jaguar into the sea as he veered around and headed for the palace.

"The Rodans are fast," Shindo said, "but not that fast. Your niece will get here before they will."

"The palace has one thousand rooms," the chairman said with a smirk. "The Rodans are fast enough to break the sound barrier. Our computer estimates they will be here in ten minutes. Do you think my niece can search one thousand rooms in ten minutes?"

Chairman Salno laughed. Malnek laughed. Hopto and Rogan joined in. They all laughed.

Then a fist pounded on the door.

"Open up, Chairman," the palace guard captain barked. "You are under arrest."

Now Chairman Salno looked surprise.

"I told you," Shindo said smugly.

Malnek ordered the control room technicians to take up firing positions behind the control bank that was the furthest from the entrance. The chairman, Hopto, and Rogan joined them, but they ducked below the level of the control bank so they could not get hit. Malnek pulled Shindo's chair in the middle of the room so he would get caught in the crossfire.

"Don't feel so clever now, do you?" The assassin patted Shindo's cheek. He went behind the control bank and aimed his rifle at Shindo. When the door burst open, Shindo was sure to be the first to die.

The palace guard kept pounding on the door. "I said open up or we are coming in on a count of three!"

"Don't worry, Chairman," Malnek said. "We can hold this room for ten minutes. Wait," he checked the chronometer. The time was actually less. "Seven minutes." He reaffirmed his aim at Shindo and smiled.

Shindo sighed at the assassin's mean spiritedness.

The guard captain started his countdown.

"One!"

"Two!"

Before he shouted three, a secret door slid opened behind Malnek. Selina rushed in and struck him in the back of the head with the butt of a Type-59 assault rifle, dropping the master assassin.

The captain shouted three and kicked the door wide open. Without Malnek's courage to fortify them, the technicians promptly dropped their guns.

Selina aimed her rifle at her uncle who was caught sitting on the floor, looking foolish.

"Your Highness," Shindo said, "your uncle has summoned the Rodans to your kingdom and the Gargantuas are right behind them."

Selina acknowledged Shindo with a nod and turned to the technicians. "Release the Rodans from the control of this machine." She pointed to the Kilaak Controller. "And send the Gargantuas back to Krakatoa."

xxx

As quickly as it had come over them the urge to leave the island passed and the Gargantuas wondered why they were even swimming away to begin with. And that's when they all saw it in the distance: the bright explosive jets of lava shooting into the night sky. The Gargantuas all turned to the fire erupting from the mountain and pointed, mouths agape. Their faith had been rewarded. Sunda would reveal himself.

In a wild frenzy they all swam back towards the glowing island of fire.

Elsewhere Dr. Who had regained consciousness. He looked outside on the monitor and cursed. The volcano was erupting, but not the way he had planned. Somehow, someway Ibuki must have done something to disarm his bomb. Who would kill him for this. When he tried to restart Mechanikong the robot's jet thrusters were unresponsive, but all was not lost. Inside the head was an escape pod. Dr. Who climbed the ladder to the top and engaged it. Soon the robot's head detached from its body and helicopter blades burst from the crown. Within moments Dr. Who was airborne.

Dr. Who piloted the craft northwards when all of a sudden it jolted to a halt. "What in the devil!" he cried. And then he heard it. The wheezing breathe he recognized as Frankenstein's monster. "No, not again! Not him! Not now."

Frankenstein had heard the chopper blades from where he had taken down Mechanikong and had immediately ran to investigate when he spotted the strange flying craft. Immediately he knew it carried the object of his obsession and he had grabbed it.

"You fool!" the doctor yelled over the loudspeakers. "What are you doing? Let me go, immediately!"

Frankenstein didn't answer and then began walking back towards the lava-filled crater. He waded into the knee-high lava as though he were wading into a pond for a swim. "Are you insane?" Dr. who's voice shouted over the robot head's loudspeakers. "You'll kill us both!" Frankenstein brought the craft down to his field of vision and glared at the doctor. Dr. Who's blood rarely went cold, but it did when he heard for the first time the monster speak in an audible human voice. "No, we belong dead."

On a ledge Godzilla lay in wait for Rodan, deep down knowing the Pterosaur may not reach him in time. Lava flowed on either side of him, and soon it would overtake him. Godzilla shuts his eyes, resigned to his fate. He would soon be like his ancestors the dinosaurs, incinerated in a blast of heat. But then he heard two familiar voices in his head. _No, Godzilla, now is not your time to die. Look to the heavens above._

Godzilla knew what he would see even before he tilted his head skyward: Mothra was here to rescue him. As expected, she hovered above him on her gossamer wings, now more brilliant than ever in the glow of the lava. _You're late_ , Godzilla bellowed to her.

 _Am I_? she chirped and swooped down, gripping him by the dorsal plates, and then with a push of her mighty wings they became airborne just as the lava nipped at Godzilla's heels.

Godzilla looked below him and watched as all of the Gargantuas ran to the erupting crater. As one Gargantua after another jumped over the precipice they saw Sunda, their creator waste deep in the lava. All leapt into the flames to join him and Dr. Who.

Godzilla watched from the air as the island consumed itself and the remaining Gargantuas in the molten lava.

 **Epilogue**

Headlines rocked the world. "UN officials spread Gargantua plague." "Kaiju win decisive victory, save world." "Queen of Selgina, presumed dead, liberates her country." As Carl Nelson predicted, the United Nations scandal absorbed the media's attention. When the journalists dug into the details, they discovered that Goro Ibuki's kaiju repeller was instrumental in drawing the Gargantuas to Krakatoa. He became an international hero. The fog of suspicion evaporated. He could live anywhere he wanted. Travel to anywhere he wanted. He was a free man. A man who had honor and renown. Goro was just happy to have the pressure off his shoulders, although he fell under new pressure. Jet Jaguar's contribution to saving the world did not escape attention. Toy manufacturers wanted to make Jet Jaguar action figures, model kits, and posters. Everyone from school teachers to talk show hosts wanted Goro to make guest appearances with his robot. Goro and Jet Jaguar had gone from pariahs to celebrities. They were going to need an agent to handle their affairs. At least Goro could be sure of one thing. He was going to be a rich man.

Queen Selina Salno delivered her uncle, Chairman Salno, President Hopto, Malnek and Rogan to the world court in The Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity. She re-established her government and with Shindo and Commander Carl Nelson's help, received recognition from Japan and the United States as the official ruler of Selgina. Once her country was stabilized she called in Kyoko and Goro to help her clear out the Kilaak Controller from her palace, assuming that it was the Kilaak Controller.

"I can't imagine Dr. Who entrusting the original to Hopto." Carl Nelson slapped his palm atop the dormant controller. "Out of vanity he would insist in keeping the original."

Goro was inspecting the controller's circuitry. He set a circuit board down on the workbench. "I don't know what to tell you. I know the doctor showed me a controller in his lab. He did not tell me it was the original. I assumed it was. As for this one," he motioned to the circuit board he had set on the bench, "the materials used to make this circuit are not of this Earth. Either this is the original or Dr. Who managed to synthesize Kilaak metals and silicone."

"Perhaps you were too hasty when you destroyed Who's base," Selina Salno suggested to Carl Nelson. Although she was polite, the reprimand could be heard in the tone of her voice.

"I have to support the Commander's decision," Shindo said in Carl's defense. "It would have taken an army to seize his base. Destroying it saved lives."

"All that matters to me is does it work?" Kyoko said.

"It works," Goro assured her. "It works as good as the one we had on Monsterland."

"Good." Kyoko turned to Selina. "With your permission, your highness, I would like to power up the controller one more time to send the Godzilla and the other kaiju back to Monsterland. Once they are secure, we can remove this equipment from your palace."

"I have a better idea," Goro said. "Let Jet Jaguar invite them back to Monsterland."

"Invite them?"

"Jet Jaguar has built a rapport with the kaiju. They trust them. If you can get them to return of their own free will you will have an easier time keeping them there. They may start thinking of the island as their home instead of their prison."

Kyoko thought about his suggestion. She looked to the robot. "Do you think you can do it?"

Jet Jaguar gave her thumbs up.

Kyoko suppressed a chuckle. She bit her lip, nervous about the consequences if this idea did not work. At last she nodded and said, "All right. Do it."

Jet Jaguar acknowledged her with a nod, opened the window, and flew out of the palace.

Selina was taken aback at the robot taking the liberty of opening windows in the palace. "He does not waste time, does he?"

Goro blushed and replied with a shrug.

Now that the kaiju issued was settled, Kyoko and Goro were free to remove the controller from the palace and get it ready to be loaded aboard Commander Nelson's sub.

Shindo and Yomo excused themselves, as they were no longer needed.

"Then this is goodbye," Selina Salno said with a touch of sorrow. "Thank you again for all your help, Yomo." She put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

Yomo put his hand to his cheek, surprised and flattered.

Shindo could not help remembering that he spent his part of the mission with a robot and a cranky director of Monsterland while Yomo spent his with a beautiful woman, and not just any beautiful woman.

After they left the palace and were on their way down the front steps, Yomo said, "Out with it. I know you're jealous."

"I'm not jealous!" Shindo insisted.

"Oh come! You were glaring at us the whole time."

"Forget it, Yomo. You had your moment of glamor. Enjoy it."

"I am enjoying it, but I just want to clear the air."

"There is nothing to clear." Shindo signaled the chauffeur they were ready to be taken to the airport. The driver drove up with a black car. They got into the back seat. Yomo, of course was not going to let the matter drop.

"Look at it this way. Every mission, you get the pretty girl. So for once, just once, I get the pretty girl."

"Are you trying to clear the air or are you rubbing it in?"

Yomo blushed with guilt.

"Look," Shindo said, "I don't always get the pretty girl. How about that girl you rescued on our first mission seven years ago?"

"The flamingo dancer from Brazil?"

"Yes, that one."

"She wasn't as glamorous as the ones you rescue."

"Sure she was."

"Yours have teeth."

"Yours had teeth, too."

"Did you see her teeth?" Yomo challenged.

"Yes, I saw them," Shindo said.

"Mine had so much bridgework, every time I kissed her I had to pay a toll!"

Shindo exhaled in exasperation. Fine, he thought. Yomo forced him to drop his trump card. "Look, you're married now."

"You would have to bring that up."

"That's why I get the femme fatales, to keep you out of trouble." Shindo poked Yomo in the chest.

"I see. You're just trying to preserve my marriage."

"That's what friends are for."

"Uh-huh." Yomo crossed his arms and looked out the car window, stewing.

So much for clearing the air.

"All right," Shindo said. "I will make a deal with you. I will admit I'm jealous if you admit you're rubbing it in." He held out his hand.

Yomo looked at his hand with narrowed eyes then at him. "Deal."

They shook hands. Halfway to the airport they laughed about the whole thing and called ahead on the phone in the car to make dinner reservations in Hong Kong.

xxx

Aki Honeyblossom slipped her sunglasses down over the bridge of her nose and scanned the streets for her old friend. So far she couldn't see him because the streets were so clogged with people. Though she wished her meeting was set up for Paris, when one was is a high-profile criminal wanted for the latest global crisis, Cuba was probably the better choice for a late afternoon drink.

A man with a long dirty beard sitting at a rickety patio table outside of a street side café raised his coffee cup at her, cocked an eyebrow and took a sip. Dr. Who was good at his disguises when he wanted to be.

Aki smiled and walked over to the table. "How does it feel to be a dead man, Doctor?" she sat and crossed her legs.

"Doctor?" Dr. Who grinned. "I'm just a simple toymaker named Inami. You must have me mistaken for someone else."

Miss Honeyblossom gave him a slight smile, but Dr. Who could tell she wished to talk about more pertinent matters. "I have to admit, you really did outdo yourself this time. Literally," she said as she took off her glasses and slid them into her purse.

"Oh, you mean that small matter of cloning myself and then sending him off to his inevitable doom? Tell me, do you know the details of the deaths of my other self and Mechanikong II?"

"Not yet, only that they both perished in the eruption."

Dr. Who shrugged. "Oh well, I'm still not sure how I felt about having two of myself running around out there. Who knows, he may have gotten ideas to knock me off and make himself the real Dr. Who."

Aki gave him a slight smile. "How do I know he didn't?"

The doctor laughed. "I assure you it is I. Besides, the rapidly growing cells of the Frankenstein monster are exactly what allowed the clone to age as quickly as it did. In another week, he would have looked as though he were 100 years old. Hopefully that is something you and I can perfect in the future. You still have the Prometheus Embryos?"

Aki smiled and patted her purse.

"Good."

"What is our next step?" Aki asked. "I hear the monsters have returned to Monsterland. Voluntarily thanks to Jet Jaguar."

Dr. Who harrumphed and took another sip of his coffee.

"Do you plan to avenge yourself upon Ibuki and his robot?"

The doctor looked thoughtful for a moment and then finally responded. "No, for now we will lay low until the next calamity makes everyone forget about Dr. Who and the Gargantua plague. And I'm sure there is another alien invasion or extinction-level event right around the corner anyhow."

"So where do we plan to lay low?"

Dr. Who finished his coffee and dabbed his fake beard with a napkin. "I've always had a hankering to go to Egypt and study the Sphynx. What do you say?"

She smiled. "I hear Cairo is lovely this time of year. When do we leave?"

xxx

Godzilla looked at his sleeping son, finally tuckered out after a full day's worth of chasing around the Rodans and telling everyone about the strange moth he witnessed emerge from its cocoon. In short, things were back to normal on Monster Island with all the monsters having returned aside from Anguirus who said he wanted to investigate something in the snowy wastelands to the north. Though Jet Jaguar had convinced the monsters to return home voluntarily, where they could stay strong in their numbers, Godzilla sensed it wouldn't be long before the humans lost their trust of them and reactivated the Kilaak Controller again. Still, Godzilla was glad to be surrounded by his own kind, be they archosaurs or just other giant animals like Kumonga. Godzilla's thoughts turned to the sad creature he had encountered in the volcano that was neither human nor kaiju, but some sad creature lost in between. Minya tugged at his arm, already awake from his nap. Godzilla looked out at the vast ocean one more time. Little did he know, miles away on the floor of the Java Sea crawled a single disembodied arm which was already beginning to regrow what looked to be the start of a torso…


End file.
